


Don't forget me!

by hello33willoTheWisp845



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: A little bit of fun, Adventure & Romance, Established Relationship, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Memories, Shore Leave, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:00:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 35,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28012053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hello33willoTheWisp845/pseuds/hello33willoTheWisp845
Summary: This story is a sequel to the story "An immoral Offer". But it can also be read alone without any prior knowledge of the history. This story is about the fact that Seven wants to stay with the Borg in episode 5x15 and Kathryn returns to Voyager alone. Will Kathryn be able to bring back Seven? Will they be happily reunited or will Kathryn have to live without Seven? This story answers all of these questions.
Relationships: Kathryn Janeway/Seven of Nine
Comments: 112
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language, but I would like to share my stories with you. So please excuse any errors that occur from time to time. Many thanks.

*** 9 months before ***

Kathryn sat in her quarters as if trapped in a trance and still couldn't believe it. Her thoughts always revolved around the one person she loved and who had left her.

After they had stolen the transwarp spool from the damaged Borg sphere and wanted to beam it back to Voyager, Seven had stopped in the middle of the corridor and Kathryn, who was already a few meters in front of her, looked around confusedly.

"Seven keep moving." Kathryn had called to her, but Seven simply had said "No, I wish to stay. I intend rejoin the collective.” 

Kathryn then looked at her in shock and quickly put on her command mask and told her in a strict tone that she could not allow that.

But Seven had just calmly replied that Kathryn had no other choice.

Kathryn immediately raised her phaser rifle and pointed it at her, yelling at her.

"Keep moving, that's an order!"

But then suddenly a force field had built up between Seven and herself and Seven had looked at her desperately and called out to her that she should go.

But Kathryn, whose heart was beating wildly and slowly began to ache, had only called back that she would not leave the ship without Seven.

"Then you will be assimilated!" Seven had replied resignedly, while two Borg drones walked towards them and Kathryn noticed that a Borg drone was also coming towards them from behind.

Kathryn had turned around quickly and shot the Borg drone. When the Borg drone fell to the ground, Kathryn ran to the next corner and then looked around for Seven one last time, who was already surrounded by the two Borg drones.

At that moment, her body had automatically taken the lead, while her mind and heart closed to reality. Somehow she got to where the rest of her away team had been waiting for her and what had happened after that had passed her like a nightmare.

How she had been beamed back to Voyager and then how suddenly the Borg sphere was suddenly, miraculously mobile enough to fly away within a few seconds, she had only vaguely perceived.

Shortly afterwards she collapsed on the bridge and someone, probably Tuvok or Chakotay, beamed her to her quarters with a "place-to-place" transport.

And now she was sitting here, in her dark, empty quarters and there was only one question in her head all the time.

"Why???"

***********************************************

She and Seven had been together for over a year and were married 4 months ago, right after the crisis with the Vinculum, where the various personalities from Seven's cortical node had taken over their bodies, tortured them and plunged them into chaos.

The wedding had been like a fairy tale. Neelix and Tom had programmed a beautiful scene in the holodeck. It had been a beach setting. In the background was the sea, the waves of which broke on the beach and left a gentle rustling and the sun slowly set on the horizon. Chakotay had taken over the ceremony and married the two of them under a wedding arch tied and shaped from many pink and white balloons. All crew members who were not on duty sat on many white chairs that were set up in a semicircle in front of them. Kathryn herself had put on her white dress uniform and Seven …

Seven was the most beautiful bride Kathryn had ever seen, although she only wore a simple white wedding dress, she looked breathtaking in it. The wedding dress was tight and emphasized her feminine shape quite well and was closed at the front up to her neck and went well over her feet, which were bare. The wedding dress was sleeveless and Seven's back was exposed down to her lower back, Wedding dress train fanned down from her bottom to the floor. Her curly blonde hair framed her narrow face and a shy smile could be seen on it.

When the doctor led Seven to the altar, Kathryn's heart had started to pound wildly and her breath had stalled. Tuvok, who had been standing behind her, had put a reassuring hand on her shoulders. Which helped enormously not to tip over because Seven looked so incredibly beautiful, elegant and adorable.

They had made their own vows, and by the best will in the world, Kathryn couldn't remember what she had spoken. The few words Seven had said to her in her pledge had been poetry to her ears and so full of love that Kathryn began to cry. Just like many of those present.

The wedding kiss afterwards was exhilarating and made Kathryn giggle and her crew applaud. The wedding party that followed was vague in her memories. In the end, Kathryn only knew that she had fallen asleep immediately with Seven in her honeymoon suite on the holodeck, extremely tired and exhausted.

The crew had given them a week on the holodeck, which they spent in a wellness resort, which was similar to the planet Risa. Their honeymoon together was amazing, they had lots of sex, lots of time to cuddle and kiss, and some nature trips.

In the meantime, B'Elanna and her crew had installed Seven's alcove in Kathryn's quarters, which had become Seven's official home since the wedding.

After the honeymoon, both of them had started their work as usual. While on duty they were captain and crewman and after duty they were two newlyweds. Since they had lived together for the months before, not much changed in this area for both of them. Only that they have now been invited to double dates by other couples.

In the beginning, Kathryn and Seven found it very strange to show their relationship and love publicly on double dates in their free time, so they usually declined such invitations with thanks.

But with Tom and B'Elanna they couldn't avoid it and so, they were often together with the two of them and to Kathryn's delight, B'Elanna and Seven became good friends. Tom became something of a big brother to Seven, teaching her loads of things that Kathryn would have preferred if Seven had never learned those things.

And then they had their first serious argument, and only because Seven did not want to understand that Kathryn had to ensnare Kashyk to keep him safe until they found the hidden wormhole, where they bring their telepathic guests, whom they kept hidden from him, to safety there.

Seven had been so damn jealous and had so much doubted Kathryn's love that they had a very unpleasant argument, where in the end Seven had left common quarters angry and slipped into B'Elanna's for a few days and hid there from Kathryn. Only after Kashyk and the telepathic guests from Voyager had disappeared again, the two of them had been able to speak and Kathryn had made up with Seven again.

After the crisis with the Vinculum and this first argument, Kathryn had thought that nothing could harm her love and her marriage to Seven. But now she was sitting alone and abandoned on her couch and Seven was gone. The chance of ever seeing her again was so slim. Seven could be practically anywhere in the galaxy with the Borg sphere. It was impossible to find her.

Kathryn put her hands on her face and began to cry uncontrollably and let her pain out. Exactly what she had always feared had happened and nothing in the galaxy would ever make her happy again. From now on she would be captain again, who would only bring her crew and her spaceship home, no matter how long that would take. She would only live for it.

After Kathryn had sworn to live her life and only think about coming home, she got up weakly from the couch with soft legs and dragged herself into the bedroom. There she brushed the bedspread aside with her right hand. Without even thinking about undressing, she crawled into bed and pulled the covers over her head. There was a strange rustling next to her ear and skeptical she sat up again and ran her hand under the pillow.

Surprised to find a small letter there, she immediately took it in her hand and opened it with trembling fingers. When she read the message, she did not immediately understand what it said. It was only after reading the message several more times that the words on it made sense to them.

_**"My dear Kathryn,** _

_**by the time you read this letter I will probably be very far from you. Please forgive me for leaving you. It wasn't my will to do this. The Borg Queen had contacted me over the past few days via a subspace link and told me that our mission would fail if I did not return to the collective. She told me that if I didn't obey, she would assimilate Voyager, the crew and you too.** _

_**I love you so much and have made so many friends on Voyager that I couldn't possibly let this happen. I am very sorry for causing you pain. Please forgive me.** _

_**I want to thank you for your love, your patience, your kindness and for the best time of my life. I hope you can get the crew and Voyager back to the Alpha Quadrant.** _

_**In complete love and adoration for you  
your Seven."** _

Seven ...

Kathryn sighed very deeply.

She had suspected that something was bothering Seven the last few days. But she had blamed it on the logbook entries of Seven's parents, to give them an advantage in the raid against the Borg.. She had also planned to withdraw Seven from the away mission, but Seven had asked so badly to participate that only her participation would promise a success of the mission that she had granted Seven her request.

Shit ... if she had only known what she knew now, she would have canceled the mission and flown away from the damaged Borg sphere with the Voyager as quickly as possible.

Why had she allowed the Borg queen to take Seven away from her? Moment...

Kathryn looked around the bed, frowning. Last night Seven and she had the best night of their brief relationship. Seven was so incredibly gentle and affectionate, even more so than she used to be. She had kissed Kathryn's body slowly, calmly and tenderly with her soft full lips and her warm, slim fingers had slid over Kathryn's body again and again and had caressed all the beautiful spots that Seven had always counted among her favorites.

Did Seven say goodbye to her last night? Was that why she was so loving and cuddly? Damn it!!! Why didn't she talk to Seven???


	2. Chapter 2

After the Voyager found a transwarp signature of the Borg sphere, the Delta Flyer followed it to the Unimatrix complex, the home world of the Borg. Kathryn, Tom, and the Doctor looked around in awe and saw the sheer scale of the Borg home world. It was huge, you could say gigantic. And it was dark and ominous. And in this world Seven had grown up.

Kathryn rubbed the bridge of her nose and tried to imagine what horror Seven might have experienced here for 18 years. She was all the more astonished that Seven had transformed into such a wonderful, warm-hearted person and an incredibly gentle, caring and kind individual she had become.

After Tuvok isolated Seven's position in a huge Borg facility, Kathryn and Tuvok beamed themselves there and freed Seven from the clutches of the Borg Queen.

As soon as they had saved Seven and they were safely back on the Delta Flyer, Kathryn took Seven in her arms and hugged her tightly.

"Oh darling, I can't tell how glad I am to be able to hold you in my arms again." said Kathryn in a hoarse, rough voice. Seven also wrapped her arms around Kathryn and leaned against her, relieved, while her body was still trembling with excitement and fear that the Borg queen might bring her back.

Tom immediately set a course to bring the Delta Flyer back to Voyager. To do this, he activated the transwarp coil and opened a transwarp channel.

As soon as they were back on the Voyager, the transwarp coil was deployed and the Voyager could fly 20,000 light years closer to the Alpha Quadrant and also escape the Borg.

Meanwhile, Kathryn had Seven moved into their common quarters. At first they both looked at each other quietly and calmly for a very long moment. Kathryn was split in two. On the one hand, she was overjoyed to have Seven back with her, but on the other hand, she was still concerned about how Seven could leave her so easily.

Yes, she had her reasons for it, but any other crew member would have acted differently than Seven and would have gone to her or Chakotay to inform her about the blackmailing of the Borg queen.

But Seven hadn’t done so, but surrendered herself to the Borg queen. This behavior was out of the question and Kathryn was afraid that something like this could happen again.

“Darling, I am overjoyed and relieved that you are here with me and Voyager again. But to be honest, I'm pretty mad at you and at the moment I don't know exactly how to deal with my anger." Kathryn said angrily and began to pace back and forth. Seven gave her a worried look.

Since the Borg brought her back, Seven had given up hope that she would ever see Kathryn again. She was practically finished with her previous life on Voyager and was ready to be assimilated again to protect the love of her life.

But now she was back with Kathryn and she loved her so infinitely and so deeply. But that endangered Kathryn's life and that of the other crew members of Voyager. The Borg Queen was probably beside herself and would from now on chase Voyager until she had what she wanted. And although the Borg weren't a race that hated and were out for revenge, Seven wasn't sure about the Borg Queen if she didn't have that feeling after all.

"Please tell me why you are so angry with me." Seven asked softly and Kathryn stopped and looked at Seven with a frown.

“I'm angry with you for not coming to see me after the Borg queen contacted you. If you had only come to see me, I would have canceled the mission and we would have flown as far away as possible with the Voyager. And nothing that has happened in the last few days would have happened. I'm angry that you didn't trust me, that you didn't include me, that you just left me like that. I'm mad at how much you scared me and I'm scared that you might do this again. That you just leave me like that and just leave a message." Kathryn explained upset and tears ran down Seven's cheeks.

She hadn't wanted Kathryn to stay so angry and hurt. She just wanted to keep them safe. She had never meant to hurt her or let her down. Damn!!!!

"Kathryn, I'm sorry for causing you so much pain. I didn't mean to. I just wanted you to be safe and still be able to shorten your trip to the Alpha Quadrant many times over with a transwarp coil. I didn't know that my behavior could affect you so permanently.” Seven confessed and Kathryn looked at her in disbelief.

“God darling, I love you. I love you more than anything else in this galaxy. Of course your leaving affected me. How could you assume that the transwarp coil is so important to me that I wanted it at all costs? How could you have assumed that a transwarp coil could make your sacrifice more bearable for me? You alone have the power to make my life rich, beautiful, colorful and interesting. It is only you who means everything to me. Do you understand?" Kathryn asked. Sevens cheeks were streaked with tears and she no longer trusted her voice, so she just nodded.

Kathryn quickly walked up to Seven and pulled her into her arms and hugged her tightly while Seven let herself into her embrace and began to sob.

"Please darling, never do such nonsense again. Please promise me!" Asked Kathryn desperately.

"I ..., I ... promise you ... I love you." Seven replied, while she sniffed several times and snuggled up to Kathryn.

Kathryn gently stroked Seven's tangled hair and held her for as long as she needed. Then she put Seven in her alcove and activated a regeneration cycle of 48 hours.

While Seven was standing quietly in her alcove, Kathryn crawled into bed and looked at Seven for a long time. She tried to memorize every little thing about Seven and keep it in her memories forever. But the exhausting past days soon took their toll and her eyes closed and she sank into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**********************************

It wasn't until hours later that Kathryn woke up from her deep sleep. Her gaze immediately fell on Seven's alcove. However, since it was empty, she frowned and quickly slipped out of bed. As soon as she stood she saw Seven lying lifeless on the floor. She hurried to her quickly.

"Darling?" She asked, carefully turning Seven's head towards her. Since Seven didn't respond, Kathryn hurried back to her bedside table and picked up her communicator and clicked on it.

"Doctor, I need your help, Seven is lying next to me on the floor and doesn't move." Kathryn called fearfully and the doctor confirmed that he was on his way. A few moments later he materialized in the quarters and knelt down to Seven and scanned her with his tricorder.

"Doctor?" Asked Kathryn and looked at him questioningly.

"Hm ... the tricoder shows nothing unusual. Just that she passed out. But I'll take Seven to the infirmary and do extensive examinations to be absolutely sure. ”With that he initiated a * place-to-place * transport and dematerialized himself with Seven.

Kathryn quickly put on a fresh uniform, which she had replicated the night before and hurried to the infirmary.

"Doctor report!" Demanded Kathryn immediately when she arrived in the infirmary and Seven was lying on a bio bed and the doctor had activated the diagnosis field on her body.

“As far as the data is correct, there is nothing to suggest why Seven fell out of her alcove and why she is passed out. I will wake her up in a moment and maybe she can answer our questions then." Answered the doctor and deactivated the diagnosis field, which immediately withdrew and slid back into the biobed. Then the doctor picked up a hypospray and held it to Seven's neck and discharged it.

Only a few seconds later, Seven's eyes fluttered open and she sat up stiffly and then slid gracefully down from the biobed to first look at the doctor, then at Kathryn and then let her gaze wander through the infirmary. After looking around for a moment and the Doctor and Kathryn looking at her worried, Seven turned her gaze back to the two of them.

"Darling, are you okay?" Kathryn asked after Seven hadn't said anything.

Even now she just looked indifferently at Kathryn and the doctor.

"Seven?" Kathryn asked again and put her hand on Seven's shoulder. Seven winced briefly and Kathryn immediately pulled her hand from Seven's shoulder.

Suddenly a new implant broke out of Seven's neck and began to blink wildly, while her eyes suddenly turned black so that the white was no longer visible. Then she opened her mouth.

"We are the Borg, this drone has finished its mission on Voyager and will now return to the collective!" Replied Seven with the voices of billions of Borg drones.

Kathryn and the doctor looked horrified.

"What?" Asked Kathryn and blinked at Seven in amazement.

"We are the Borg, this drone has finished its mission on Voyager and will now return to the collective!" Replied Seven again and clicked on a point on her forearm that neither Kathryn nor the doctor had noticed before.

"Ready." she said and Kathryn stepped up to her and put her hands on Seven's arms and looked at her closely.

"What does that mean?" She asked worriedly in a hoarse and husky voice.

"We are the Borg, this drone has finished its mission on Voyager and will now return to the collective!" Explained Seven a third time and Kathryn turned pale.

"What are you saying? I love you and I won't let you go. We only saved and brought you back yesterday!" Replied Kathryn and put on her command mask.

Seven's expression suddenly changed from emotionless to curious and looked at Kathryn questioningly.

“We are Borg, your feelings are irrelevant and undesirable. This Borg drone will return to the collective. Her memories of the last 24 months have been erased." Said Seven, but Kathryn could clearly hear the voice of the Borg Queen. Seven turned away from Kathryn and strode around the infirmary.

Kathryn looked pale and desperate. It couldn't be. No, no. Damn noooooo!!! Could the Borg Queen really be so cruel and take away from her Seven a second time? No, damn it shouldn't happen!!! She had to prevent that, but before she could pull Seven into her arms to hold her tight and secure, her communicator hummed.

"Chakotay to the captain, a Borg cube has just appeared." Chakotay explained, alarmed via his communicator.

Before Kathryn could answer, Seven dematerialized herself into a green ray and disappeared from the infirmary and also from the life of Kathryn.

"Noooooooooooo" shouted Kathryn desperately and collapsed crying on the deck floor. The doctor hurried over to her and carried her to the nearest biobed. Then he gave her a light sedative and informed Chakotay of the new situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I am very sorry myself that I send my two favorite ladies through hell. But be assured, everything will be fine. I promised.


	3. Chapter 3

Kathryn, who had given up all hope of ever seeing Seven again, found it difficult to get used to the new circumstances. Her quarters, without Seven, had become too big and empty for her. So she had withdrawn and settled more and more in Seven's little solitary quarters. She also began to work more than was good for her.

But her senior officers, who had known for years that her captain did not pay attention to her personal health and needs as soon as she was in a conflict or in a bad mood, took care of her. Neelix made sure that she ate and drank regularly. B'Elanna and Tom took over the entertainment program and tried to get Kathryn out of her isolation. Tuvok and Chakotay made sure that they didn't work too much and that they had enough rest. And the doctor felt responsible for everything at the same time.

So the time passed. During the day, Kathryn was sometimes fine because she could distract herself with work. The lonely nights were the worst. It was difficult for her to fall asleep and when she did manage to do it, she dreamed of Seven. On good nights they were nice dreams, on bad nights she always lost Seven one way or another. But no matter what the dreams were at night, waking up in the morning alone without Seven's warm body in her arms, was the worst of all . Some mornings she managed to get out of bed and get ready for duty.

But as soon as she was on duty, she was at least distracted and could forget for a short while that she had lost the love of her life.

*** Now - Present ***

"Come in!" said Kathryn and Chakotay entered the ready room beaming with joy. Kathryn looked at him in surprise.

"Chakotay what's up?" She asked angrily and looked at him intently.

“Bayja is a really beautiful planet, similar to the earth of the 21st century. I really enjoyed my shore leave there. And now it is your turn to finally start your shore leave, I will release you from your duty for a week and resistance is pointless!” Chakotay explained while Kathryn looked at him pained.

“Chakotay, you know very well that I have not planned a shore leave and do not want to take it. I'm fine, I don't need an air change. So please leave me alone." Kathryn replied a little annoyed, but Chakotay stepped up to her at the desk, took her hand in his hand and looked at her gently.

“We both know very well that you are not feeling well and that you urgently need an air change. I have booked a hotel room for you in a beautiful region. It's heaven there. You can do a variety of things, from wine tastings, to hikes through the vineyards, to day trips to the nearby sea, where you can relax and drift, everything is included. You will really like it. So come on, I asked B'Elanna to pack your travel bag, Neelix has packed some of your favorite goodies, Tuvok has checked the security and Tom will personally take you down to Bayja so that you can see how beautiful Bayja is. Everything is ready, only you are missing.” Chakotay explained and pushed Kathryn out of her ready room.

“Chakotay, what do you think of treating me like that. Leave me alone!" Said Kathryn dismissively and withdrew from Chakotay.

"Kathryn, I am your friend, just like the others. I want you to rest for a few days, have a little fun and relax. The doctor has even threatened to dismiss you if you do not take this shore leave and are stubborn enough to take care of yourself and your health. So don't argue and it's only a few days.” Chakotay said gently and Kathryn's eyes were already gleaming treacherously.

“Nothing of this means to me without Seven. What am I supposed to do down there all by myself?" Kathryn asked desperately, but Chakotay continued to smile warmly at her.

“I'm sure Seven would want you to take care of yourself and take some time off. And I am sure that you will find something to deal with. The region is really beautiful and the Bayjans are very friendly and a spirit rich species. You can have very good conversations with them and spend a wonderful time on Bayja.” Chakotay explained and in memory of Laria, a beautiful Bayjan woman who made his time on Bayja very sweet, he grinned at Kathryn crookedly.

"Oh yes, you had a very good time there, tell me about it." Kathryn asked, but Chakotay shook his head.

“I'll tell you everything when you get back from your shore leave in a week. Because now it's time for you to meet Tom in the hangar deck and take your shore leave. Come on!” Said Chakotay and Kathryn gave up fighting on. Since Seven was beamed from the infirmary by the Borg and she had previously explained that all her memory of her time on Voyager, including her love for Kathryn, had been erased, she had lost her fighting spirit or saw no point in many things more.

******************************************

"Nice, isn't it?" Asked Tom as he flew over the northern continent of Bayja on the Delta Flyer.

Kathryn hadn't really looked at the view yet. She was just too angry at Chakotay, B'Elanna, Tom, Neelix, the doctor, even Tuvok, that they forced her to take this damn shore leave. She really didn't feel like going on vacation anywhere alone and lonely. That was just too much time, in which she had too much time to think. And thinking had become a pain in the last few months. Seven kept creeping into her thoughts and then ... then her absence still hurt as much as it did when she was beamed from the infirmary. Damn!!!

"Hm ..., very nice." Kathryn replied without really looking.

Tom frowned and looked at Kathryn quietly.

"You know that we don't mean anything bad by forcing you to take this shore leave, right?" Asked Tom and Kathryn looked at him for the first time since they had started from Voyager.

"I know that, but I wish you would leave me alone." Kathryn explained dejectedly.

"Hm ... you also know we can't do that. Or?" Tom asked further and winked at Kathryn.

“Yes, I know that and I am grateful to you somewhere deep in my aching hearts that you are all there for me. But do you know how awful this is going to be for me? So all alone and with so much time to think and ..." Kathryn paused and Tom put his hand briefly on Kathryn's hand and squeezed it gently.

“I hope that your shore leave won't be as bad as you imagine. Try it out first and if it doesn't work and you feel worse instead of better, let me know and I'll pick you up immediately or you ask to be beamed up." Said Tom and Kathryn gave him a crooked grin.

"Thanks Tom, it calms me that I have this option." She said, while Tom continued to fly over Bayja´s nature and Kathryn finally took the time to look at it.

Chakotay was right. Bayja was really a very beautiful planet and was also very similar to Earth.


	4. Chapter 4

After Tom had flown over Bayja for at least 30 minutes, they finally arrived at their destination.

Tom elegantly landed the Delta Flyer on a lawn a little way from the hotel. Then he helped Kathryn get out and handed her her luggage, consisting of a travel bag that she could hang loosely over her shoulder.

Kathryn was curious to see what items of clothing B'Elanna had packed for her. She hoped that it was appropriate casual wear and that there wasn't anything too conspicuous. Kathryn was especially looking forward to the promised favorite treats that Neelix had packed.

"Well here we are. I wish you a nice shore leave." Said Tom, before he pulled Kathryn into his arms and gave her a squeeze. Since Seven had returned to the collective, the Voyager family had grown a little closer together and it was now more common for Kathryn, especially by her senior officers, to be hugged. And the more she protested because she was the captain, the less her command officers listened to her. Only Harry and Tuvok followed Star Fleet protocols. But Tom, B'Elanna, Neelix and Chakotay did not stick to it.

And basically it was good for Kathryn that she was be hugged, as long as it didn't happen on duty and her authority was not compromised.

"Thanks Tom." Said Kathryn and Tom got back into the Delta Flyer as soon as Kathryn was a few steps away from it.

Meanwhile Kathryn looked over to the hotel, which was about 500 meters away. From a distance it looked very nice, similar to an English manor house, which was framed by vineyards on the left and a beautifully landscaped garden on the right.

Kathryn walked slowly with her travel bag along a path that would undoubtedly lead her to the hotel. Once there, she registered at the reception and a young woman who looked like a Bajoran, only with the difference that she also had light brown spots on her neck, similar to the trill, greeted her in a friendly manner and then handed her over the keys to her hotel room, which was on the third floor and was accessible via an elevator in the lobby.

Kathryn got into the elevator and took it to the third floor. Her room was at the end of the hallway, which was decorated with beautiful old landscape paintings, which Kathryn would definitely take a closer look at later. But now she really wanted to see her room.

She quickly opened the door and then entered her room, which she was to live in for the next 7 days. It was a very quietly furnished room. To the right was a king size bed with lots of pillows draped on it. Next to the bed were small bedside tables on both sides, each with a small table lamp. Under the window, which was parallel to the door of the room, there was a desk with a chair in front of it. Next to it a floor lamp with a beige colored lampshade. On the left side of the room was a cozy-looking sofa, in front of it a small side table and to the left and right of it an armchair. On the wall, behind the sofa, was a small black box. Kathryn suspected that it was something like a screen where you could watch movies for entertainment as soon as you were in bed. Tom had a similar device in his and B'Elanna's quarters. He called it TV.

Kathryn stepped into the room and put her travel bag on the armchair that was closest to her. Then she went into the bathroom, which was adjacent to the living area. There she first washed her face and then took a closer look at the cozy-looking bathtub. Not as big as her bathtub on the Voyager, but she hadn’t used it since Seven left, as she had moved out of her quarters and was now living in a small quarter. And since then she had never been back to her old quarters. Sometimes she missed her bathtub, but Seven missed her much, much, much more. So she couldn't bring herself to return to her old quarters, not even to enjoy a bath in her large bathtub. Because everything in this quarter reminded her inevitably of their loss.

Kathryn stepped back into the room and looked around uncertainly. She really had no idea what to do now. Should she first explore the hotel and the leisure activities, or should she relax first and think about what she wanted to do for the next few days? Resigned and also a little tired, she crawled onto the bed and fell against the many pillows. Beside her she found something where she didn't know what it was used for. But it was elongated and had many little buttons. Kathryn looked curiously at this object and turned it back and forth before she began to press the various buttons. Nothing happened with the first button, but with the fifth button the black box on the opposite wall switched on.

Kathryn smiled contentedly, since she was right, with this device on the wall. Curious about the entertainment program, she pressed more buttons one after the other. But then she stopped, because the commercial that was running caught her interest.

“Do you suffer from lovesickness, separation pain, fear of loss or memories that torment you, make you depressed and dejected? Do you want healing? Then come to us, we can help you 100%!” Promised a male voice in the advertising slogan.

Kathryn looked fascinated at the advertising slogan and yes, she suffered from the breakup with Seven and the accompanying lovesickness and from the many memories that haunted her day after day. Memories that used to make her happy now only made her sad and made her cry.

Damn!!! She had tried to distract herself with a lot of work, had hoped that the heartache would pass quickly, that she would somehow survive the breakup with Seven. But even after 9 painful months, she wasn't feeling better. On the contrary, she was worse off. She didn't want that anymore.

So Kathryn crawled out of bed, took her room key and hurried to the elevator and took it to the lobby.

"Miss?" Asked Kathryn when she was at the reception.

"Captain Janeway, how can I help you?" Asked the young woman and smiled warmly at Kathryn.

“I saw an advertising slogan in my room about a treatment called *The Deletion*. I would like to know more about it and maybe want to carry out this treatment.” Kathryn explained and the young woman looked at her with a sad look.

“Oh, I'm sorry you have memories that torment you so much that you want to erase them. Fortunately, our hotel has a wellness area where we offer this treatment free of charge. Would you like me to make an appointment for you?” Asked the young woman and Kathryn nodded her head.

"Yes, please." She said and the young woman left the reception area and entered an office that was behind it. A short time later she came back and smiled happily at Kathryn.

"I'm happy to announce that we have an appointment for you this afternoon." The young woman explained and Kathryn smiled happily at her.

"Very good, do I have to pay attention to something?" She asked uncertainly.

"No not at all. To be honest, *The Deletion* is a very common treatment here on Bayja. We Bayjans like to be happy, cheerful and balanced. Lovesickness, the pain of separation or the pain of losing a loved one are very inappropriate for us. Do you understand?” Asked the young woman and Kathryn actually understood it, although she found it reprehensible to manipulate his feelings and sensations so much. Since that was exactly what she was about to do, she could understand it.

"Good that makes me happy. May I recommend the in-house café where you can make yourself comfortable while you wait for your appointment?” Asked the young woman and Kathryn nodded her head and thanked her for the recommendation.

*************************************

“Captain Janeway, it's nice to meet you, I'm Torian your personal advisor. How can I help you?” Asked the young man and smiled warmly at Kathryn.

“I would like to erase my memories of my wife. She was kidnapped by the Borg 9 months ago and I haven't gotten over the loss so far." Kathryn explained and Torian looked at her sadly and sympathetically.

“I understand and I am happy to help you. However, before we begin the session, we need to fill out a few forms. This is for your and our security. You understand, don't you?" Torian asked and Kathryn nodded her head.

"Good, then please read the forms through and sign at the end if you agree with all of them." Said Torian and handed Kathryn a forms of about 10 pages, which Kathryn read through quickly and signed at the end.

“Well, then we can begin. Please sit down in this armchair.” Torian said and Kathryn complied with his request.

Torian picked up a device, which looked like a brain scanner from the doctor, from a small table and attached it to Kathryn's right temple. Next he gave Kathryn a small device that looked very inconspicuous. It was only 4x3cm and black. Not more.

"Can you explain to me how the whole thing will work and how it works?" Kathryn asked a little uncertainly.

"Now with the *memory fuser* on your temple, you will go back in your memories, to the moments you shared with your wife. The device in your hand will then erase the reminder as soon as you press it. You have to invoke up each individual reminder again and then decide whether you want to delete them.” Torian explained gently.

"Will my memories be gone forever or will they break out again at some point?" Asked Kathryn curiously.

"They will be delete forever." Torian declared seriously. "Would you like to think again about whether you really want to delete your memories of your wife?" Asked Torian.

“No, I don't want to wait any longer. We can begin. How do I go about it?" Kathryn asked decisively and Torian looked at her melancholy for a moment, because she was so determined to erase her memories.

"I'll be to adjust the *memory fuser* and all you have to do is think back to the last time you met your wife. If you want to delete the reminder, press the delete device in your hand. After that, all memories will be played backwards and you can decide which memories you want to keep and which not. As soon as all memories are deleted, let me know and I will turn off the *memory fuser*.” Torian explained and Kathryn straightened her shoulder and then sat down comfortably in the armchair.

"Ready?" Asked Torian and Kathryn nodded her head.

As soon as Torian turned on the *memory fuser*, Kathryn closed her eyes and wandered back in her memories to the moment she had last seen Seven.

_Before they were flown by Tom to Bayja, Kathryn held the wedding photo of Seven and herself in her hand and tears ran down her face. She missed Seven so much and for so long._

Kathryn pressed the delete device and the memorys of the last 9 months of missing Seven so badly was erased ...

_“We are Borg, your feelings are irrelevant and undesirable. This Borg drone will return to the collective. Your memories of the last 24 Months have been erased.” Seven said completely emotionless. Shortly afterwards she was gone from Kathryn's life forever and her heart shattered._

Kathryn pressed the delete device and the memories was deleted...

_Kathryn quickly walked up to Seven and pulled her into her arms and hugged her tightly while Seven let herself into her embrace and began to sob._

_"Please darling, never do such nonsense again. Please promise me!" Asked Kathryn desperately._

_"I ..., I ... promise you ... I love you." Seven replied, while she sniffed several times and snuggled up to Kathryn._

Delete...

_"Oh darling, I can't tell how glad I am to be able to hold you in my arms again." said Kathryn in a hoarse, rough voice. Seven wrapped her arms around Kathryn as well and leaned against her in relief._

Delete...

_"Then you will be assimilated!" Said Seven resignedly, while two Borg drones strode towards them and Kathryn noticed that a Borg drone was also coming towards them from behind._

_Kathryn turned around quickly and fired her photon weapon at the Borg drone. The Borg drone fell to the ground and Kathryn ran to the next corner. There she turned around again and looked one last time at Seven, who was already surrounded by two Borg drones._

Delete...

_Before Kathryn beamed over to the Borg sphere with Seven, Tuvok and Harry, Kathryn pulled Seven into her arms again and the two women kissed each other gently and tenderly. Kathryn felt Seven's body shaking and she rubbed her back soothingly._

_"Everything will be fine, we can do it!" Said Kathryn confidently and Seven nodded her head slightly, but looked away, embarrassed._

Delete...

_"Darling, you should eat something before we start our mission, this will be a very exciting and long day today." Kathryn shouted after Seven as she got up from the dining table and tensed, left the living room._

_"I'm not hungry and unless you take your own advice to heart, I won't heed your request." Seven called back and went into the bedroom to get ready for the away mission._

Delete...

Further memories appear in Kathryn and every single memory hurt Kathryn's heart, so that she just left in quick succession, pressed the delete device in her hand and deleted everything. An eternity passed and memories, after memories were deleted, while tears ran free over Kathryn's cheeks and dripped down her chin without her noticing it.

Delete ... Delete ... Delete ... Delete ... Delete ...

The honeymoon, your wedding night, your wedding, candlelit dates, velocity matches in the holodeck, cuddling on the couch and in bed, lots of kisses and the unbelievable sex - delete, delete, delete...

_Seven stood in the brig cell and yelled at Kathyrn that they couldn't live without the collective, that Kathryn should bring them back to their own kind!_

Delete...

_Seven got out of her alcove and walked towards Kathryn and Tuvok._

Delete...

As if in a frenzy, Kathryn had deleted everything from her memories that had to do with Seven. Only then did she finally stop and let Torian know that she was done.

"What am I doing here?" She asked puzzled and Torian exhibited the *memory fuser*.

"How are you?" He asked and Kathryn smiled happily at him.

"Thank you I'm feeling very good. What did I do here?" She asked and Torian looked at her friendly.

“You had a relaxation treatment. I'm glad that you are fine.” He said, while he took the delete device from Kathryn's hand, then released the memory fuser from her temple and then put both aside.

"I wish you a nice stay on Bayja." He said and Kathryn got up from the armchair in a good mood and said goodbye to Torian. While Kathryn left the wellness area, Torian looked after her wistfully and sighed deeply before he turned back to his work and tidied up the treatment room.


	5. Chapter 5

Kathryn stepped out of the wellness area and enjoyed the warm rays of the sun on her face. It was so nice and warm, just the right weather to sit by the hotel pool and later swim a little in it. She hurried back to her room and picked up her travel bag and rummaged through it for her bathing suit.

Happy that B'Elanna had thought of it, she went into the bathroom with it, quickly undressed and put on her swimsuit. Then she went back into the living room and wondered what to pull over it. Unfortunately, B'Elanna had forgotten to pack something that would have gone with the swimsuit. So she put on short shorts and a loose-fitting top. Everything else she would need she would have to buy in the hotel shop downstairs.

After Kathryn had bought sunglasses, sunscreen and an airy beach tunic, she made her way to the hotel pool, which was very close to the small in-house café.

Around the pool there were a few sun loungers, which were separated by small tables and behind them was a parasol that you could open if necessary.

Kathryn looked around uncertainly for a moment and considered which of the sun loungers to choose. She let her gaze slide over the pool area and stuck to a very beautiful sight.

A young Bayjan woman who looked fantastic was lying on a sun lounger. Her body was slim and her legs were infinitely long. Her breasts stood out very favorably in the bikini top. Her face was narrow, her lips full and sensual, her eyes hidden behind beautiful sunglasses and her black, curly hair framed her face flatteringly.

Magically attracted to this young woman, Kathryn walked in her direction.

"Hello, is the sun lounger next to you still free?" Asked Kathryn and the young Bayjan woman smiled warmly at Kathryn.

"Yes, of course." Was all she said.

Kathryn put her things, which she had bought in the hotel shop, on the sun lounger and reached out her hand to the young woman.

"I'm Kathryn." She said kindly and the young woman took Kathryn's hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Kate." she said with a smile.

"Hello Kate, I am pleased to meet you too. Today is my first day here and I'm very happy that I'm here.” Kathryn chattered and Kate took off her sunglasses and looked at Kathryn with honey brown eyes, who seemed to cast a spell on Kathryn immediately.

“Yes, it's very nice here. This is my second time here on vacation and I am always fascinated by the beautiful landscape, the warm, mild weather and the friendly staff. You're not from Bayja, are you?" asked Kate and Kathryn shook her head while she took the sunscreen in her hand and put it on her legs to distract herself from those beautiful honey-brown eyes. Which she would have loved to stare at forever.

“No, I am captain of a spaceship that is currently in orbit. My crew condemned me to take a shore leave and to be honest, I don't know why I didn't want to come here at first, where it's so beautiful here." Said Kathryn, while she was now looking closely at Kate.

There was something familiar about Kate, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

“You look familiar to me. Have we met before?" Asked Kathryn, while she was putting the sun cream on her arms. But Kate shook her head.

“No, unfortunately we have never met before. I would remember such a beautiful woman like her.” Kate replied honestly and Kathryn blushed at these compliments.

"How long have you been here?" Asked Kathryn to distract from the subject.

“Oh, a few days. If you like, I could recommend a few things that you should definitely do while you are here.” Kate said gently, taking a glass of orange juice from the side table and gently pulling on the straw.

Kathryn forgot to put some lotion on her arms and instead stared fascinated at Kate's full lips, which had wrapped around the thin straw. And....

Kate grinned at Kathryn with a big grin.

"What?" Asked Kathryn and continued rubbing her sunscreen and Kate started to laugh. Oh, that laugh, it just sounded heavenly.

“I asked you if you would be interested in going to the wine tasting with me. But you were so busy looking at me that you didn't notice." Replied Kate and Kathryn blushed.

"Don't worry, I've seen this phenomenon a few times in my presence and well, to be honest, you're the first person I don't mind that you stared at me so openly and directly." Kate said quietly and got even a little flush on her cheeks.

"Oh ..." replied Kathryn and then hid her face in her hands.

Kate rose elegantly from her sun lounger and sat next to Kathryn and gently placed her hands on Kathryn's hands. Kathryn was startled and quickly took her hands down and looked at Kate in amazement, who was still smiling friendly.

“You don't have to be ashamed, to be honest, I find you very attractive and also cute. And to be even more honest, I saw you earlier when you were sitting in the cafe. Before however you looked very worried, nervous and also sad. So I'm all the more pleased that you seem to be doing much better now." Kate explained and Kathryn blushed a bit more because Kate told her so openly that she found her attractive and cute.

"Oh, hasn't anyone told you how beautiful you look?" Kate asked cheekily.

Kathyrn thought about it for a long moment, not even noticing how Kate's hand was still gently holding her hand.

"Do you find me attractive and cute?" Asked Kathryn, because she was very surprised that such a beautiful young woman could find her attractive where she was so much older.

Kate laughed again and took her hand, in which Kathryn's hand was still lying, and led it to her full, sensual lips and breathed a kiss on the back of Kathryn's hand.

"Yes very. And the nice thing is, we Bayjans have a very special way of handling things like that." Replied Kate, while she slowly let go of Kathryn's hand and instead gently stroked Kathryn's arm and looked at her seductively.

"Really?" Asked Kathryn, a little distracted and looked at Kate's hand that slipped over her arm.

"Really. If we Bayjans find someone interesting and attractive, then we don't talk around the bush for long, but say what we want. And now, I like you. Somehow I have the feeling that I know you and ..." Kathryn looked at Kate in amazement.

“I also feel that I know you. Do you do this more often?" Asked Kathryn and Kate shook her head.

“No, I've never done anything like this before. You are the first person I feel immediately attracted to." Replied Kate and bent her head down to Kathryn's head and kissed her gently on the cheek. Before Kathryn could react, Kate pulled back and looked shyly at Kathryn.

"Sorry!" She said softly.

But Kathryn, lost in thought, ran her finger over her cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know - Kate is a pretty Bayjan woman and she goes after Kathryn. I know that you might not like that anyone other than Seven finds Kathryn attractive, but please give it a chance. Thank you.


	6. Chapter 6

After the two women had already spent the whole day together, first at the pool, later on a short walk through the adjacent vineyards and much later on a dinner together, the two had come closer and closer.

As soon as Kathryn opened the door to her hotel room and pulled Kate into her room, Kate pulled her into her arms and Kathryn leaned against her. But instead of the hoped-for first kiss that Kathryn had expected, she was stabbed by a stabbing pain that instantly pulled her down into a darkness.

Kate slowly let Kathryn sink to the floor and gave her a crooked grin. Then she quickly found Kathryn's stuffs and put them in the travel bag, which she found on the armchair. Then she pulled Kathryn's unconscious body a bit away from the hotel room door and attached a device to her top. Kate pressed a small button that she had taken out of her purse and immediately Kathryn dematerialized in front of her eyes.

Kate smiled happily because everything was going so well according to plan. She quickly took the travel bag and drove down to the lobby and went to reception.

A young Bayjan looked up and gave Kate a friendly smile.

"How can I help you?" He asked gently.

“Captain Janeway unfortunately had to return to her spaceship. She asked me to get her travel bag and to check her out of the hotel.” Kate explained while she handed over Kathryn's room key and continued to smile at the young man in a friendly manner.

"Thank you, that's very kind of you." Said the young man and took the room key and entered this new information into his computer.

"Gladly." said Kate and then calmly left the hotel lobby and strolled to the exit. When she got outside, she grinned delightedly before getting into a vehicle that she had parked in the parking lot for this purpose.

As soon as she was in the vehicle, she drove along the country road that led to and from the hotel. About 3 miles further, she steered the vehicle into a small side path, which was unpaved and therefore very bumpy. She drove on this way for another half an hour. But as soon as the path ended in a dead end, Kate stopped and got out of the vehicle. Then she stepped elegantly to the back of the vehicle and opened the trunk.

Inside, Kathryn was curled up unconscious. Kate quickly checked her vital signs and then, a little roughly, pulled them out of the trunk.

Then she lifted her in her arms and carried her a few more meters through the darkness to her small spaceship, which was hidden by a camouflage shield. After Kate put Kathryn on the floor, she looked for the remote control from her handbag and clicked it so that her spaceship was visible. After she entered the code for the shuttle door, it hissed open.

Carefully she carried Kathryn into the spaceship, which was about the size of the Delta Flyer. There she tied Kathryn to a chair. After she was sure that Kathryn could no longer free herself, she left the small spaceship and went back to the vehicle to clear up any traces that she might have left there and to take Kathryn's travel bag. Then she boarded her spaceship again, put on her comfortable clothes again, consisting of dark jeans, a sweater and a leather jacket over it, plus her boots. All in all, she felt much more comfortable again than in the summer dress that she had worn to dinner to please Kathryn. After she had finished moving, she started her spaceship and left Bayja with Kathryn.

********************************

After a few hours in which Kathryn was passed out, her eyes fluttered open and then closed again. It took several attempts before she could finally keep her eyes open. But their mind or their brain then needed a very long moment to perceive their surroundings. But even then, when she realized that she wasn't where she thought she should be, she still didn't understand where she was. But most of all, she didn't understand why she was here. Damn what was she missing???

"Kate?" She asked after recognizing the woman a few meters away on the control panel of the spaceship.

Kate turned in her pilot's chair and looked pleased at Kathryn with a beaming smile.

"Hello ... there you are again." Kate said cheerfully and turned back to her control panel.

"Kate, what am I doing here and why am I tied up?" Asked Kathryn as soon as she became aware of her current situation.

"Hm ... let me think about it ..." Kate turned back to Kathryn, made a thoughtful face for a long moment before grinning broadly at Kathryn.

“I'm a bounty hunter and you've made some enemies in the last star system who'd love to get their hands on you. And I, well, make it possible for them and I get a pretty high reward for it. Oh ... it's not personal by the way, it's just a business for me. I hope you understand. Yes?” Asked Kate, sweetly and amiably looking.

Kathryn looked at Kate in disbelief.

"You kidnapped me?" She asked, horrified.

“Yes, you got it. Bravo, congratulations.” Kate said and turned around again and corrected the course a little by tapping several buttons on the control panel.

"My crew will be looking for me." Kathryn said after a long moment in which she had thought about her current situation.

“Yes, that can be, but don't forget, your crew won't notice for 6 days that you are no longer on Bayja. And by then I'll have delivered you, bagged the reward and am already light years away. So lean back and enjoy the flight.” Kate explained sweetly.

"How high is the reward? I think I can offer you more." Kathryn replied quickly.

Kate turned back to her and raised her eyebrows and looked at Kathryn for a moment before giggling.

"Kathryn, Kathryn ..." Kate said with a sigh and got up from her pilot's chair, went to Kathryn, knelt in front of her and looked at her seriously with her honey-brown eyes.

"You're insulting my intelligence right now and you know I don't like that at all." Kate explained, pouting before getting up again.

Kathryn looked after Kate as she sat back and she had, like all day, the feeling that she had known Kate forever. But with the best will in the world she couldn't think of where from.

"I didn't mean to offend your intelligence, just offer you better business." Kathryn said honestly.

“Yes, a business that will take me straight to the nearest prison." Kate hissed back and Kathryn gave up resignedly and continued to think about how she could convince Kate to let her go.

When she couldn't think of, she tried to loosen her bonds. Kate looked over at her and rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Please don't do that, it won't do you any good anyway, because I've tied you up so that you definitely won't be able to free yourself. You will only hurt yourself." Kate explained and Kathryn looked at her with a crooked grin.

"Afraid that your goods will be damaged and your reward won't work?" Kathryn asked pointedly, but Kate just laughed.

“Nah, they said *dead or alive* so it doesn't matter what state of health I deliver you there. But I don't feel like having to wipe up your blood later. So stop it!" Demanded Kate annoyed.

Kathryn swallowed once or twice.

“How did you know that I would be in this hotel? And how did you get me out of there?" Asked Kathryn, while she tried again to loosen her bonds.

“I have my sources and how I got you out of the hotel is irrelevant to you. The only thing that matters is that no one will suspect that you are gone. Stop it!!!" demanded Kate again and looked at Kathryn venomously.

Kathryn held still for a moment before she began to move back and forth to loosen the rope around her body. Annoyed, Kate got up from her pilot's chair and went to Kathryn again and looked annoyed at her.

“What do you want to prove? Why are you so stubborn? I told you that it will not do you any good because the rope will not be released. So just give up!" Demanded Kate and to Kathryn's surprise she ran her hand over Kathryn's cheek and looked at her pityingly. Almost as if she were sorry for putting Kathryn in this position.

"Set me free and I promise you there will be no consequences for you." Kathryn said bravely and Kate looked at her skeptically for a moment before shaking her head and her long black hair waving.

“Nice how much you care about me. But as I said, you are offending my intelligence with your suggestion. I'm not nearly naive enough to believe you that if I set you free and bring you back, I won't get any punishment. I've set the autopilot, the course is set. I have some things to do. Keep trying to loosen the rope. I don't care." Said Kate and left the cockpit.

Kathryn looked after her in surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cat is out of the bag, Kate is up to no good with our Kathryn. Whether Seven comes and saves her or can Kathryn save herself or is everything completely different than it seems at the moment? A few questions are answered in the next chapter. Hold on and let yourself be surprised.


	7. Chapter 7

"Kate?" Asked Kathryn in surprise when Kate came back some time later and began to untie her.

“Oh no false hope and please don't make any nonsense. Do you see this ...?" Asked Kate, pointing to what she was holding in her hand.

“It's a weapon and as I said, it doesn't matter if I deliver you alive or dead. So don't think I won't use my gun. Because you're wrong. Come on, it's time to go to the potty." Kate said, grabbed Kathryn's arm and pulled her up from the chair and pushed her into the back of her spaceship, pressing her gun into Kathryn's back.

Kathryns, who was stiff from sitting for a long time and being tied to the chair, stumbled more than she could walk properly. But to her surprise, Kate said nothing, just pushed her to the bathroom. And even though Kathryn didn't have to, she went into the small bathroom and to her further astonishment Kate closed the bathroom door behind her.

Kathryn quickly searched the various compartments and drawers in the bathroom, looking for something that could help her escape. But very quickly she had to find out that there was nothing that could help her. Resigned, she sat down on the locked toilet and buried her head in her hands and tried quickly to think about how she could get out of her predicament.

Kate knocked on the door after a few minutes and then opened it shortly afterwards. When Kathryn stepped out of the bathroom, Kate gave her a very knowing look.

“Did you really think that I would leave something in the bathroom that could help you? Kathryn, Kathryn, Kathryn ... you are insulting my intelligence once again.” Kate explained while she handed Kathryn a shrink-wrapped package.

"What is that?" Asked Kathryn with a frown.

"Your food, enjoy it, it's the last I have. Another reason why I need the reward so that I can replenish my supplies.” Kate explained, but Kathryn gave it back to her.

"I'm not hungry." she said and Kate shrugged her shoulders and put the shrink-wrapped package back in a compartment.

"Okay, then please lie down there on the bed." Kate asked almost kindly and Kathryn looked at her surprised.

"Why?" She asked and Kate rolled her beautiful honey brown eyes.

"Because I want that and you're just annoying me at the front." Kate said, took Kathryn's arm in her hand and pushed her over to the sleeping area and pressed her onto the mattress.

"What are you going to do exactly?" Kathryn asked tense, but Kate just grinned at her and took out a syringe from her jacket pocket, which was filled with a blue-green liquid.

"What is that?" Asked Kathryn fearfully.

“This is the same remedy that I used on you a few hours ago. It just makes you sleep. Don't worry, it's nothing poisonous or anything." Kate explained almost gently, while she held the syringe to Kathryn's neck.

"Hold still, please!" said Kate as she lowered the syringe into Kathryn's skin and injected the blue-green liquid. Seconds later, Kathryn's limp body was stretched out on the bed. Kate put a blanket over Kathryn's body and looked at her a little.

*****************************************

The next time Kathryn woke up, she felt disoriented and needed a long moment to come to yourself.

After she was able to think clearly again, she immediately noticed that she was no longer lying in bed, but was pressed against a bulkhead on the floor and that her body ached in various places as soon as she moved.

A quick look over their surroundings told her that they were no longer in space, but on a planet, obviously class M, because she could breathe. Wreckage from the spaceship and some other things were scattered around Kathryn and the front compartment of the spaceship had been torn away. Instead there was a kind of jungle around them and the sun shone through the foliage, warm down on she.

Kathryn tried to straighten up, which caused her a bitter pain in her right side. Groaning, she rose slowly, but gave up after a brief moment because the pain was too great.

"Kate?" She shouted into the jungle. But the only answer she received was the twittering of birds, the rustling of the leaves of the various tree species and various other animal noises that she could not quite interpret at the moment. At least it was broad daylight and not at night.

"Kate? Please answer me!" Shouted Kathryn again, but also the second time she got no answer. So she pushed herself up from the jungle floor with both of her hands and tried to get up, which took a lot of strength and made her grimace in pain more than once.

As soon as she was on her feet, she slowly and carefully snaked through the wreckage that covered the jungle floor and followed the trail of the fall.

After Kathryn tripped several meters more than walked, she found the front part of the wreckage of the spaceship. She headed quickly towards, falling several times and her right side starting to throb and ache even more than before. As soon as she reached the wreckage, she climbed carefully inside. Inside it was a bit dark and there was a similar chaos as outside.

After a short while, Kathryn found Kate, trapped under the control panel, unconscious. Kathryn quickly pushed the fallen pilot's chair aside and knelt down next to Kate.

"Kate?" She asked worried, but got no answer. Kathryn quickly put her fingers on Kate's carotid artery. Relieved to feel a faint pulse under her finger, she exhaled the air she had been holding.

Carefully she pushed Kate's long black hair from her face and looked to see if her face was injured. Finding nothing, she slowly felt Kate's hunched body, looking for an injury. But since she found nothing, she took Kate's head gently and carefully in both of her hands.

"Kate? Kate ... come on, wake up!" Asked Kathryn and patted her cheek, but Kate didn't move.

Kathryn got up and wondered what to do and what options she had. Actually, she didn't have much of a chance. The spaceship was destroyed and Kate was passed out, possibly with internal injuries.

“Kate, please wake up. I could use your help now." Said Kathryn, realizing that Kate probably wouldn't hear her at all.

She quickly rejected the idea of pulling Kate out from under the control panel, as she didn't know whether Kate had internal injuries or whether her spine was injured. So she sat quietly next to her and waited. How long she waited and thought about what to do, she wasn't sure. But at some point she dawned easily. After her body hit the deck hard, she awoke, startled. Unsure how long she had been gone, she looked worriedly at Kate and checked her pulse again.

"Kate?" She asked softly and to her amazement Kathryn received, this time a small grunt that came out of Kate's throat.

"Kate?" Kathryn asked again and Kate's eyes fluttered open and closed again before they opened again and Kate grimaced in pain.

"Urgggggggg ..." groaned Kate as she tried to move.

"Hey slow!" Said Kathryn, trying as best as possible to help her get out from under the control panel.

"How are you? Are you hurt?" Asked Kathryn and Kate looked pained.

"I feel great!" said she sarcastically. "And you?" She asked, while she slowly pushed forward and then tried to get up, which didn't work so well and she just sat next to Kathryn on the floor.

“I have a little pain in my right side, but it's tolerable. What happened?" Asked Kathryn and Kate held her head with both hands and pressed she against.

"Hmm ... I don't remember exactly ... all of a sudden pure chaos broke out and I had to fly to a class M planet, and we crashed. A miracle we're still alive." Said Kate, while she tried to get up again. But suddenly her body began to shimmer and Kathryn looked at her horrified.

"Kate, what about you?" Asked Kathryn immediately concerned and got up quickly, which was not a good idea because she was dizzy and had to support herself on the control console.

“Nothing, everything is okay. It's just my bio shield emitter." Kate explained calmly, while her optics changed.

Her black hair changed in a flash and suddenly became blonde and short, a kind of metal piece appeared over her left eye and another on her right ear. Her honey brown eyes transformed into crystal blue eyes.

Kathryn looked at her with wide eyes.

"Surprise..." said Kate and ruffled her short blonde hair, while Kathryn saw her hand, which was caught in a kind of metallic glove. Kathryn held her breath.

"I was once a Borg drone." Kate explained with a sigh and looked at Kathryn apologetically.

“My bio shield emitter allows me to look normal and hide my Borg signature. But he just gave up his ghost.” She said and shrugged her shoulders before turning away from Kathryn and leaning on the control console.

"Shit, the spaceship is junk." she swore, then sank back to the floor and buried her face in her hands.

Kathryn sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulder and hugged her gently.

Kate took her hands from her face in surprise and looked at Kathryn with her crystal blue eyes.

“It's okay, we'll get out of here somehow. First we should try to see where we are and how we can ensure our survival in the meantime while we are waiting for help.” Kathryn explained reasonably and Kate looked at her in disbelief.

"You're kidding, aren't you?" Kate asked, raising her eyebrow to where the metal jewelry was now attached. Kathryn looked at it fascinated and unconsciously raised her hand and stroked it lightly. Kate flinched back at the contact and covered it with her hand.

"Don't!" She said warningly and Kathryn pulled back slightly.

"What is that?" She asked.

"My ocular implant. Well what's left of it.” Kate said softly and cursed her bio shield emitter for having failed just now.

"I probably have to kill you now because you now know how I really look." Kate said and grinned crookedly at Kathryn.

Kathryn raised her eyebrow and looked askance at Kate.

"Let's postpone that until later. At the moment we have to see where we are and what is left of your spaceship. Maybe we could assemble something and activate a distress signal.” Kathryn explained seriously, while she looked closely at Kate's face, which now seemed even more familiar than before.

“I sent a emergency call while we were crashing. I don't know if it could still be broadcast.” Kate said resignedly.

Kathryn looked at her doubtfully.

"What, don't you believe me?" Kate asked a little annoyed and Kathryn raised her hand to the bridge of her nose and massaged herself there briefly while Kate looked at her curiously.

"Hm ... to be honest, I have to admit that I don't believe you. I mean you kidnapped me and you plan to turn me over to someone to get a reward. My trust in you is not very great.” Kathryn stood honestly.

"Okay, if you look at it that way, you're probably right, but it doesn't really matter whether you believe me or not." Kate replied pouting and trying to pull herself up on the control console, which she managed better than before.

Slightly shaky and swaying, she took a few steps into the crooked part of the wreck and then climbed out into the jungle. Kathryn followed her and both women looked around helplessly as soon as they stood in front of the wreckage.

“Wow, what a mess. Any ideas what we should do now?” Kate asked, leaning against the wreckage and holding her head in her hands.

“Did you have an emergency medical kit? I think we should scan ourselves for internal injuries." Kathryn asked, but Kate shook her head.

"I need my bag, in it was everything I need." she said suddenly and began to look around the immediate area. She always had her bag close by, so it had to be here somewhere. A little hysterical, Kate climbed back into the crooked part of the wreck and searched the area almost panicked.

Kathryn climbed to her and put her hand on Kate's shoulder. Kate turned her head to her and looked at her in amazement, as if she had forgotten that Kathryn was still there.

"What does your bag look like?" Asked Kathryn, trying hard to help Kate look so that she could do much more important things afterwards.

"She's not here." replied Kate, instead in a desperate voice. She stumbled back out of the wreckage and looked around more closely in front of the wreckage. Kathryn followed her and grabbed her arm.

Kate continued to search the area for her bag with her eyes. So Kathryn took Kate's head in her hands and forced the young woman to look at her.

“I am sure that your bag is very important to you and I would like to help you find it. But I can only do that if I know what she looks like. So please calm down and tell me what I need to know." said Kathryn and Kate looked at her with wide eyes, although she didn't really look as if she knew what Kathryn wanted from her.

Kathryn looked worriedly at Kate.

"Kate?" She asked, but Kate didn't respond.

"I ..., I ... have to regenerate ..., in my ... pocket ... there is a ... solar charger ..." it came out of Kate, breathing heavily and hesitantly, while she let herself sink more and more against Kathryn. Kathryn helped Kate slowly slide onto the jungle floor.

“Stay here, I'll look for your bag. We will find them. Okay?" Kathryn asked, but Kate collapsed on the jungle floor, unconscious.

Kathryn got up quickly and started looking for a bag that she didn't know what it looked like or where it could be. First she started looking again inside the wreckage, then she circled the wreckage outside and from there systematically step by step. In between she kept looking briefly at Kate, who was still unconscious, but still alive, on the floor.

Meanwhile the sun rose higher and higher in the sky and it became warmer and more humid. Kathryn pulled off the blouse she had put on for dinner with Kate yesterday. Then she rolled up her black pants so that her legs were free. Now with only her undershirt and rolled up pants, Kathryn immediately felt a little better.

After searching for a while, she finally found the bag. This was thrown about 30 meters away from the wreckage on impact. That was why she had been so difficult to find.

Kathryn hurriedly went back to Kate with the bag, since she was still unconscious, Kathryn opened the bag and poured the contents out onto the jungle floor. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find anything in the contents of the bag that would help Kate in her current situation.

“Kate, please come to you! I have no idea what you need." Kathryn asked desperately and took Kate's face between her hands.

“Come on, come to you. I need your help!" Kathryn asked again and gently shook Kate's head.

Groaning, Kate came to yourself and looked at Kathryn disoriented.

"I found your bag, but I don't know what you need out of it." Kathryn explained and Kate's hand rose slightly and slowly and pointed to a silver card that lay between the other contents of the bag.

"That ..." Kate whispered softly and Kathryn immediately picked up the silver card and looked at Kate questioningly.

"Open ... it!" said Kate softly and Kathryn frowned at the silver card in her hand. Then she took a closer look and really found a crack on the card, in which she carefully pushed her fingernail. Immediately the card opened a little and Kathryn then unfolded it. Surprised that the silver card, which was initially no bigger than a postcard, suddenly was 1x1 meters tall, she looked at Kate questioningly.

"And now?" She asked and Kate pointed to a cable that was still between the other contents of the bag.

"Connect ... access port..." said Kate and Kathryn took the cable and looked at both ends carefully. Since one end fit into a small opening on one side of the opened card, she pushed the end of the cable into it.

"Give me ... please ... the ... other end ... and put the ... solar sail ... please ... in the ... sun." Kate said with difficulty and Kathryn handed it her and put the solar sail a few meters away in the sun.

Meanwhile Kate took the other end of the cable trembling in her right hand and then lifted her left hand with difficulty and led the cable end to a small, barely visible opening. As soon as the end of the cable was in, Kate's eyes fluttered shut and she sagged again.

Kathryn looked at her worried and wasn't sure what to do now. So as a precaution, she checked Kate's pulse on her carotid artery. Surprised and relieved that Kate's pulse was tapping much stronger against her fingers than before, she decided to leave Kate alone for the time being and to search the area more closely for things that could still be useful.


	8. Chapter 8

After Kathryn had been looking for the various stuffs from the jungle floor and the wreckage of the spaceship for about 3 hours, which they might still need, Kate woke up again.

She carefully pulled the cable from her left hand, then got up from the ground and walked over to the solar sail. There she pulled out the other end of the cable and then put it in her pants pocket. Then she took the solar sail and folded it up again and put it in her trouser pockets as well.

Kathryn, who had seen Kate out of the corner of her eye, immediately ran up to her.

"How are you?" She asked and Kate curiously looking at Kathryn, who looked very sweaty and dirty from work. Kathryn's upper arms were shiny and sweaty and the muscles under her skin were clearly visible. She looked pretty attractive. And Kathryn's undershirt snuggled against her bosom, which rose and fell slightly as she breathed in and out. A little distracted by Kathryn's appearance, she didn't answer immediately.

"Kate?" Asked Kathryn worried.

"Thanks, I'm better. But I think I'll need a longer regeneration cycle of 6-8 hours tomorrow, if we're still here, to be 100% charged.” Kate replied and Kathryn nodded her head.

“Okay, let's do it then. While you were regenerating, I looked for all the stuffs that could be useful for us. I took them to the front part of the wreck and got everything out there that we don't need. I thought that we would set up camp there because we are more protected there. The only problem is that the wreckage is pretty crooked. Maybe we could put it in a more favorable position together.” Kathryn explained while Kate looked at her closely.

"Hm ... I don't know, I'm only about 35% efficient. Only when I am 100% charged can I muster enough strength to move the wreckage.” Kate replied apologetically.

"OK. By the way, I found my travel bag. It's good that you took her with you. Neelix, my ship's cook packed some goodies and a thermos full of coffee. Come on, let's eat something and then think about how to proceed." Said Kathryn and quickly got her travel bag out of the front part of the wreck.

When she got back to Kate's, she took out the thermos with the coffee and poured some of it into the coffee mug and handed it to Kate.

Kate sniffed the mug curiously and made a face.

"Hm ... it smells weird." she said before putting the mug to her lips and taking a sip. Disgusted by the taste, she grimaced again and forced to swallow the disgusting brew.

"I love coffee and if you don't like it, there's more left for me." Said Kathryn and grinned at Kate. “But I still have to insist that you drink it as long as we have nothing else to drink. The water tank of your spaceship is unfortunately destroyed. We're going to have to look for water. Try that here!" Said Kathryn and gave Kate something to eat.

Kate turned the piece that Kathryn had given her back and forth and looked at it skeptically before handing it back to Kathryn.

"I'm not hungry. You eat it.” She said and turned around and walked away from Kathryn. Kathryn looked after her with a frown and then put the food back in the can.

"We should climb one of these trees and get an overview of where we are." Kathryn said thoughtfully and Kate looked at her with a frown.

"Borg drones don't climb!" Explained Kate and looked at Kathryn arrogantly.

"I don't know how to do that." she admitted with a sigh and Kathryn grinned broadly at her.

"Well, then I'll climb a tree." said Kathryn, already thinking which tree would be best to climb on. But Kate put her hand on Kathryn's arm and stopped her.

"I can't let that go, you're injured and your right side hurts more than you want to admit it." Kate explained and Kathryn looked at her in amazement that Kate had noticed that her right side of the body was really throbbing and it she found it difficult to move properly.

"It'll be okay." Kathryn said with conviction, but Kate continued to hold on to her.

"I could inject you with some nanoprobes that will heal your internal injuries."

"You want to assimilate me?" Asked Kathryn, shocked.

"No, I would just program some of my nanoprobes to heal your internal injuries and as soon as they are done with them, they will deactivate." Kate explained and Kathryn looked at her skeptically.

"How are your nanoprobes supposed to get into my body?" Asked Kathryn curiously.

“I had a syringe with which I could inject you with my nanoprobes, but I have nothing to disinfect. So my assimilation tubes would be the better choice." Said Kate and Kathryn gave her a skeptical look.

"Do you want me to help or not?" Asked Kate, raising her eyebrow in question.

"How can you prevent you from assimilating me?" Asked Kathryn and Kate rolled her eyes.

“I'm going to reprogram some nanoprobes and send them over to you. They'll just heal you and then they deactivate.” Kate explained matter-of-factly, then closed her eyes and stood still for a little while. Then she opened her eyes again.

"Okay, the nanoprobes are programmed." Said Kate and looked at Kathryn carefully.

"Are you ready or are you declining my offer because you're scared?" Asked Kate and winked at Kathryn.

“I'm a captain on a spaceship, I'm not afraid. However, I am inclined to weigh up an option, analyze it and only then make a decision." Kathryn explained and Kate looked at her with a crooked grin.

"Okay, then you weigh up, analyze and then decide. I'm going to climb a tree now and see where we are." Said Kate, took off her jacket and pushed her sweater sleeves up to her elbows. Then she went up to a tree and looked at it skeptically, wondering how to get on it. First she put her arms around the thick tree trunk and tried to push herself up with her feet, which she braced against the tree trunk. But the more she tried, the more she slipped and landed with her bottom on the jungle floor. Her forearms had been scratched on her first attempt and her bottom was throbbing uncomfortably, so she cursed loudly before getting up and making a second attempt.

Kathryn rolled her eyes, sighed deeply, and walked over to Kate.

“I think you will never get up the tree like that. So come on let's do that with the nanoprobes." Said Kathryn and Kate gave her a wry smile.

"You was quick to decide." replied Kate.

"Yes, but only because I couldn't watch you trying to climb this tree any more." Kathryn replied and Kate rolled her eyes.

"I never learned how to climb a tree and I never assimilated the knowledge about it." Kate explained pouting and looked embarrassed at Kathryn.

"Please sit on the floor," she instructed Kathryn. Then she knelt behind her and put her right arm around Kathryn's torso and held her while she held her left hand to Kathryn's neck and suddenly two assimilation tubes wriggled out of there. Kathryn's eyes widened, but before she could raise an objection, the two assimilation tubes poked into her throat. A sharp stab shot through Kathryn's body and Kate held her tight as soon as she began to tremble.

As the assimilation tubes pumped nanoprobes into Kathryn's bloodstream, disturbing images suddenly appeared before her eyes. Borg drones that bent down to her, held her and her then assimilated. At first she struggled desperately and screamed for her parents, but then suddenly she was silent before darkness fell over her.

Kate pulled her assimilation tubes from Kathryn's throat and Kathryn's eyes fluttered open and she gasped for air.

Kate released Kathryn and got up.

"I'm sorry." said Kate and moved away from Kathryn, who followed her with a confused look.

"What are you sorry for?" Asked Kathryn, but then her eyes widened again and a warm wave rushed through her body and she held her breath tightly.

"The nanoprobes have started the healing process." Kate explained to calm Kathryns.

“I noticed, I didn't know it would feel like this. Obviously I have several different internal injuries in my body.” Kathryn muttered while she noticed how the nanoprobes in her body were buzzing around.

"Don't worry, it'll get better soon, I promise." Kate said confidently and Kathryn looked at her curiously.

“You just said you were sorry. What exactly did you mean by that?" Asked Kathryn as she slowly got up from the jungle floor. It made her a little dizzy, but Kate was already with her and held her gently.

"Slowly..." she said and helped Kathryn to sit down again.

"Thanks. And do you tell me what you're sorry about?" Asked Kathryn and didn't give up because she really wanted to know.

Kate sighed deeply and sat down next to Kathryn, but had turned her head and was looking into the jungle.

“When my assimilation tubes stabbed you, images of my own assimilation were inadvertently transferred to you. I had focused too much on only sending the programmed nanoprobes to you, so that I was careless and did not pay attention to which images were being sent to you. And I'm sorry." Kate explained quietly and embarrassed.

Kathryn looked at Kate sympathetically and gently ran her hand over Kates arm.

“Thank you for sending me your nanoprobes so they can heal me. When were you assimilated?" Kathryn asked curiously.

“I don't know anymore, it was a long time ago. I think I was just a kid back then." replied Kate, shrugging her shoulders. Kathryn looked at her sadly. The images they had accidentally seen had been very disturbing to them. But what must it have been like for a child to have experienced it firsthand? It was probably like a never-ending nightmare.

"I'm sorry. When did you escape?" Kathryn asked further interested.

"I ... I had a mission on a spaceship, when the mission was over, I was brought back into the collective. The Borg Queen was pretty pissed off because the people on the spaceship removed my Borg implants and redesigned me to look like them. My memories of the time I was with them were erased so that they could no longer influence me. And then I got a new update and was equipped with the bio shield emitter. Then the Borg queen sent me to the planet Latrella. The species was about to take an important development boost. I should watch them and spy on how far they have come with their inventions and technology. The only stupid thing was that I made friends very quickly and felt comfortable there among the Latrellans. They are a nice species and very hospitable. My bio shield emitter made me look like them and very soon I felt like one of them too. I could no longer bear to report to the Borg Queen and hand the Latrellans over to the wave of assimilation. So I staged my death, hid my Borg signature, boarded a freighter and traveled with it to Bayja and since then I hid there as a Bayjan woman." said Kate.

“I can understand that you fled. Did you warn the Latrellans?" Asked Kathryn, but Kate shook her head and let it sink.

“No, how should I have done that? Who would have believed me? Instead, I've sabotaged their progress so that it will take a while before they are sufficiently interesting for the Borg to be assimilated them. I couldn't do more for her. I ...” Kate stopped and shook her head in resignation. "I wish I hadn't been so cowardly and could have done more for her." said Kate, rubbing the back of her hand over her eyes, which had started to shine suspiciously.

"How long have you been on Latrella?" Asked Kathryn to elicit more from Kate.

"I was there about 6 months before I fled 2 months ago." Kate said quietly, then looked at Kathryn.

"How are you?" She asked and Kathryn smiled gently at her.

"Thanks, I think I can get up and climb the tree now." she replied and Kate helped her get up. Kathryn swayed so much that Kate helped her sit down again.

“I think we should wait a little longer. What about you. Have you ever had contact with the Borg?" Asked Kate and looked at Kathryn curiously.

"Yes ... no, I don't remember." Replied Kathryn and frowned.

"I ... should remember ... but I ..." Kathryn paused and looked at Kate confused.

"Hm ... that's probably because you had a treatment." Said Kate and grinned at Kathryn, who looked at her even more confused.

"A treatment? What do you mean by that?” She asked, almost angry.

“Do you remember, I told you yesterday that I saw you sitting in the cafe and you looked very nervous. Then you went to the spa and when you came out again you were happy and cheerful. So I figured you had some treatment I just didn't know until just now that you wouldn't remember it.” Kate explained and looked at Kathryn curiously.

"What happens on such a treatment that I can't remember exactly I met with the Borg?" Kathryn asked further and Kate sighed deeply.

“The Bayjans invented this technology for heartache, sadness, separation pain and everything that pulls them down, where they can deleted all the memories that make them feel bad. Bayjans are very happy, cheerful and in a good mood, the bad feelings only bother they. And in the hotel you stayed in, the treatment is offered free of charge, but actually it's included in the price. So you didn't even have to pay to have some of your memories deleted." Said Kate and Kathryn looked at her horrified.

“But how could I agree to such a treatment? I do not understand that. I'm not a person who just fools around in things and especially not in my emotional world and memories out of lust and boredom.” Kathryn replied indignantly and got up from the floor. She didn't care if she got dizzy or if her body felt sore from the inside out. Instead, she went up to the next tree that seemed suitable for a climbing tour.

"Will you come and help me?" She asked Kate and Kate got up from the floor with a sigh, not sure if Kathryns had just denied the treatment or if she was angry that she had agreed to the treatment, but no longer knew why she did it would have.

Kate therefore looked at Kathryn from the side skeptically, but preferred not to ask any further questions.

"It's best we do a robber ladder." Said Kathryn, but Kate couldn't relate to this term and looked at her blankly.

“Okay, I can see you don't know that. Stand here and connect your hands so that I can put my foot on it and then you push me up and I can reach the first branch." Kathryn demanded, but Kate looked at her with narrowed eyes and twisted her mouth.

"What?" Asked Kathryn.

“I'm sure everyone on your fancy spaceship will obey your orders immediately. But I'm not one of your crew members.” Kate explained and gave Kathryn a challenging look.

Kathryn sighed deeply and thought for a moment.

“You're right, I'm sorry. Would you please help me to reach the first branch up there?" Kathryn asked sweetly and Kate grinned crookedly at her.

"Oh look, she is friendly too." she replied and threw her hands in the air and let them fall again.

"Was that so bad?" She asked cheekily and Kathryn rolled her eyes.

"Are you helping me or not?" She asked again, and Kate put her hand on her chin and looked like she was thinking. Kathryn stood next to her impatiently.

"Kate???" Kathryn called annoyed and Kate looked at her grinning.

"Okay, okay. Woman you are so impatient. No wonder your crew sent you on shore leave. I'm sure they'll have fun on your spaceship now." Kate explained and Kathryn looked at her with big eyes, bewildered.

"Now don't look like that, has it never occurred to you that your crew needs a vacation from you?" Kate asked curiously, while she knelt in front of the tree and connectde her hands like Kathryn had just shown her.

"To be honest, that thought never occurred to me." Kathryn replied a little bit angrily, while she put her foot in Kate's hands, put her hands on Kate's shoulders and then Kate slowly stood up and then pushed Kathryn up the tree.

Kate clearly felt how her strength quickly decreased, so that she swayed and Kathryn lost her balance and both women then hit the jungle floor with a bang. Kathryn, who had landed on Kate's body, immediately got up.

"Kate, are you okay?" She asked worriedly while Kate sat up moaning and gave Kathryn a pained look.

"Well, for being a lot smaller than me, you have a lot of bang on it." Kate replied while trying to get up.

"I'm sorry, I lost my balance." Kathryn said apologetically and helped Kate get up. Kate rubbed her sore bottom and looked at Kathryn with a sullen look.

"Can we try again?" Kathryn asked eagerly and Kate nodded her head. Then she knelt in front of the tree again and connected her hands. Kathryn put her foot in it and then this time she held on to the tree trunk.

"Okay, I'll be ready when you're ready." she said, looking down at Kate. Kate nodded her head and slowly stood up while Kathryn continued to hold on to the tree trunk.

“I still can't get to the first branch. I have to stand on your shoulders." Kathryn explained, while she pulled up her other foot and put it on Kate's shoulders and then pulled herself up further.

Kate rolled her eyes in agony under her, trying to concentrate on not swaying again.

Kathryn had finally reached the first branch with her fingers.

"Kate, can you push me up a little longer?" She called down and Kate was already etching under her, but took Kathryn's foot off her shoulder and pushed it a bit over her head and Kathryn pushed herself even higher.

Finally she reached the branch completely so that her hands could grab it well and then pull herself up with a loud groan. As soon as she had lifted herself up, she climbed onto the branch and Kate slid down the tree and sat exhausted on the jungle floor. Her eyes closed immediately.

Meanwhile Kathryn climbed the tree bit by bit.

Kate was startled when she suddenly felt something on her arm. Her eyes looked at the animal, about the size of a hand. It had 8 legs, a furry body, and slowly moved over her forearm. Kate immediately identified it as a spider. She looked at them in fascination as she fetched information about this species from her cortical nodes. Tarantula, 8 legs, 8 eyes - but cannot see well, can only perceive light and dark. Hearing sense also underdeveloped. Sense of touch developed excellently by the hairs all over the body. Poison harmless to humanoids.

Kate smiled at the tarantula at the information as she raised her hand and the tarantula climbed over it, crawling further up her forearm. Kate held out her other hand and the tarantula climbed on it. Then Kate set the tarantula down on the jungle floor and continued to watch her.

"Kathryn, are you afraid of spiders?" Kate called up the tree after she saw how the tarantula climbed the tree trunk that Kathryn was already climbing.

"What?" Kathryn called down, because she had concentrated on climbing and had therefore not heard Kate's question correctly.

"I asked if you are afraid of spiders." Kate called up and Kathryn looked down at Kate. Since the foliage blocked her view, she couldn't see Kate.

"Why do you ask?" Kathryn called back skeptically.

"Oh just so." Kate called back, got up and carefully grabbed the tarantula, which hadn't climbed too high yet, and went with her into the jungle. Meanwhile, the tarantula held still on Kate's hand.

"You know, it is better if I take you somewhere where you two will never meet. I bet Kathryn would scream out loud when she saw you. And who knows what crazy things she'll do then. People are a little irrational. ”Kate muttered as she went deeper and deeper into the jungle with the tarantula.


	9. Chapter 9

While Kate went deeper into the jungle to find a suitable place for her new friend, Kathryn had climbed further up the tree. At least as high as she dared, as the branches were getting thinner and thinner and she wasn't sure they could still carry she without breaking through.

Unfortunately she couldn't see very far from where she was now, as the leaves of the tree and the other trees still blocked her view very much. Sighing, she started the descent. Slowly and carefully, she climbed back down. When she got downstairs after a while, she was surprised that Kate wasn't there. She could have used her help pretty well as she tried to get from the lowest branch to the jungle floor.

"Kate?" She called several times, but got no answer. So she sighed heavily and slowly let herself down on the lowest branch, so that only her hands held the branch while her legs dangled down.

"Kate???" she called one last time, but this time too she got no answer, so she let go of the branch and jumped to the ground. With a loud "uffffff..." she lands on the jungle floor. Except for a few grazes on her knees and palms, luckily nothing had happened to her.

Sullen and angry, she went back to the wreckage and looked around for Kate, but she couldn't find her there either.

"Damn!!! Where is she?" Kathryn mumbled, while she considered what to do next.

Suddenly she saw Kate coming out of the jungle.

"Kate, where have you been?" Asked Kathryn and walked up to her, but then she stopped when she saw the large tarantula sitting in Kate's hand.

"Kate???" she asked and looked at her with wide eyes.

"I found a source of water." replied Kate, but Kathryn was still looking at the tarantula.

"Where from ... where did you get her from?" She asked in a scratchy voice. Kate looked down at the tarantula, then at Kathryn, and then back again.

“She ran to me. Do you want to hold her too?" Asked Kate and gave Kathryn a wry grin.

"No, and I would appreciate it if you would put her away." Kathryn answered seriously, while Kate continued to grin at her.

“Oh, don't worry, her poison isn't dangerous to humanoids, and apart from cramps and the painful bite, nothing can happen. Or are you afraid of my new little friend?" Kate asked sweetly and Kathryn made even bigger eyes and swallowed, twice.

"No of course not. I'm captain on a spaceship, I'm not afraid of spiders." Kathryn explained stubbornly. But Kate's grin widened.

"Ah, that's how it is. Then you can hold her for a while." Kate replied and stepped up to Kathryn, who quickly took a few steps back and stumbled and stayed on the jungle floor.

"Kate!!!" she called alarmed and Kate laughed.

"Kathryn, I can see that you are scared of the tarantula. Your pupils are dilated, your pulse has risen significantly, your face is totally pale and your heart is practically racing. Why don’t you just admit that you’re scared?” Kate asked curiously, while she kneeled down in front of Kathryn with the tarantula and held her hand in Kathryn’s direction.

Kathryn grimaced in disgust and swallowed once or twice.

"Okay, well, fine ... I'm afraid of spiders. No matter how big or small they are. And I'm glad there will never be a spider on my spaceship. Satisfied???“ Kathryn said pissed off and Kate's grin instantly turned into a gentle smile. Then she looked at the tarantula.

“You see, I told you she won't be thrilled to meet you. Come on, I'll put you down for a moment, then you can run home again." Said Kate and set the tarantula down on the jungle floor.

Kathryn still looked at her in shock.

"Um ... can't you put her down somewhere far away?" Asked Kathryn and Kate looked at her in surprise.

“Yes, that's what I was planning to do until I came across the water source and wanted to get something so that the water can be transported here. Any idea what we can use for this?" Asked Kate, while she picked up the tarantula and put it on her shoulder.

Kathryn continued to look disgusted at the tarantula. Kate shook her head and laughed.

"How about your thermos? We could transport the water in it.” Kate thought out loud and Kathryn looked at her a bit more disgusted.

“No, definitely not!!! I still plan to have the coffee, who knows when I'll ever get back to drinking coffee. I think I put something in the front part of the wreck that we can use." Kathryn replied suddenly and ran to the wreck and climbed into it.

“You see, she is completely irrational, I told you so. Coffee tastes disgusting. I don't know why she likes the drink so much.” Kate explained to her tarantula while she heard Kathryn rummaging in the wreckage.

"What did you actually see on the tree?" Kate called over to Kathryn when she reappeared with a canister.

"Not much, the foliage was too dense and I didn't dare to climb higher." Explained Kathryn, who looked at the tarantula in Kate's hand again in disgust.

"Do we have to climb another tree now?" Kate asked, rolling her eyes, but Kathryn shook her head.

“Not necessary now that you've found a source of water. Come on let's get the water and then see." Said Kathryn and waited for Kate to give the direction.

Kate got up and put the tarantula down and said goodbye softly, before she climbed into the wreckage and looked for several things and then put them in the backpack, which was luckily still where it had stowed it yesterday before she checked into the hotel . As soon as she had everything she needed, she climbed out again and went into the jungle.

Kathryn had meanwhile looked at the tarantula skeptically and now walked past her very carefully and even took a few steps backwards to be absolutely sure that the tarantula was not following her. But she sat quietly on the jungle floor and didn't move a bit. Kathryn very much hoped that she would move on and not climb into the wreckage where they would sleep later.

Sighing, she turned around and had to hurry to catch up with Kate, who was already a little further ahead of her.

Both women went deeper and deeper into the jungle, while they had to hike and climb through brush, ferns, scrub and fallen tree trunks. It was only after a while, or so it seemed to Kathryn, that they suddenly stood in front of a waterfall. Kathryn looked at the nature game in amazement. The water of the waterfall collected in a small lake and the area around the waterfall was surrounded by greenery with many plants.

It looked very idyllic.

"Your water source can safely be called a waterfall." Said Kathryn and grinned at Kate.

"Hm..." Kate only said before she pulled her sweater over her head and let it fall on the floor, then took off her shoes and finally took off her pants and threw them on the floor with the sweater. Then she pulled out of her backpack the bikini she had already worn in the hotel. She quickly took off her panties and bra to put on the bikini. Kathryn looked at her puzzled and very curious.

Kate had a gorgeous figure and Kathryn found it difficult not to stare at Kate.

"What?" Asked Kate and Kathryn opened her mouth, but closed it again immediately.

“I also put your swimsuit in my backpack. I'm going to bathe now, will you come with me?" Asked Kate, jumping elegantly from the cliff, which was about two meters higher than the pool in which the water collected. Kathryn held her breath in shock and ran to the edge of the cliff and looked down worriedly. But to her relief Kate reappeared a short time later and laughed at Kathryn.

"Are you coming?" She called to Kathryn questioningly and Kathryn didn't think twice and collected Kate's stuffs and backpack. But she didn't want to jump off the cliff, so she ran around the pool of water until she found a place where she could climb down. When she reached the bottom, she put Kate's stuffs on the floor and then quickly took off her undershirt, her shoes and her pants. Finally she took off her bra and panties before putting on her swimsuit and then carefully stepping into the water.

Kate, who had swam back and forth in the water, looked at her or practically stared at her, because the swimsuit highlighted Kathryn's curves very well. Kathryn smiled broadly, plunged into the water and swam over to Kate.

"Did you like what you saw?" Asked Kathryn flirtatiously and Kate blinked her eyes.

"Hm ... that was okay." she said calmly and dived under the water so that Kathryn couldn't see her blushing.

Kathryn looked after her in amazement, but then shook her head. The way Kate had looked at her as she slowly walked into the water, she had clearly liked what she had seen of Kathryn.

A short time later Kate reappeared, beaming at Kathryn and holding a wriggling fish in her left hand.

"Dinner is secured." She called to Kathryn, who looked at her in astonishment. Then Kate tossed the wriggling fish towards the edge of the pool and was pleased when the fish landed on the jungle floor instead of in the water.

"How many fish do you think you will need to fill yourself up?" Kate then asked as she turned back to Kathryn.

"How many fish can you catch?" Asked Kathryn teasingly and Kate grinned at her.

"As many as you want." she replied and dived under the water. But instead of catching another fish, she swam underwater towards Kathryn and surprisingly pulled her underwater.

Kathryn was so surprised that she started to throw her arms around wildly under the water. But as soon as she saw Kate underwater next to her and she still playfully held her, she wrapped her arms around Kate and forced her to emerge again. Both women fought playfully for supremacy, but then Kate suddenly stopped and stared at the jungle.

Kathryn also looked in the direction but couldn't see anything, so she looked at Kate worried. But she had used the moment and now pushed Kathryn slightly under water. When Kathryn reappeared, Kate grinned broadly at her.

"Tricked." She said cheekily and Kathryn looked at her with a big eye. Then she poked Kate in the side and before Kate could defend herself, Kathryn dived under the water and swam away quickly.

When she reappeared, Kate grinned at her, then splashed water at her.

Kathryn raised her hands and Kate looked at her curiously.

"I propose a truce." She said sensibly and Kate grinned mischievously at her and took a few steps towards Kathryn.

"Ah, and how are you going to bring about this armistice? What do you offer?" She asked teasingly and Kathryn then grinned at her.

As soon as Kate was close enough to her, she pulled the young woman into her arms and gave her a seductive look. Kate returned the look uncertain and looked at Kathryn questioningly. Kathryn stood on her tiptoe and then breathed a kiss on Kate's cheek. Kate blushed and looked curiously at Kathryn.

"Is that enough as a truce?" Kathryn asked smiling and stepping back from Kate.

"Nah, not really." Kate replied cheekily and looked at Kathryn with a big grin and flushed cheeks.

"Hm ... what else could I do?" Asked Kathryn and smiled at Kate.

Kate put her hand to her chin and her finger to her nose, pretending to be thinking hard. Kathryn rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips and looked at Kate.

"Kate!!!" she said annoyed after a long moment and Kate grinned at her.

"Oh, are you always so impatient?" Kate asked with a wink and Kathryn narrowed her eyes and cocked her head.

"Yeeeeees." Replied Kathryn and grinned broadly at Kate.

"A second kiss, right here would be enough." Kate explained, pointing to her other cheek and Kathryn smiled mischievously at Kate and pulled the young woman back into her arms and kissed her cheek gently and tenderly.

Kate blushed and looked at Kathryn after the second kiss with a soft and gentle look before she remembered where they were and her gaze became neutral again.

"Okay, okay ... your truce is approved." she said teasingly and then plunged into the water and swam a few meters further.

Kathryn looked after her and was confused. First this gentle, affectionate look and then suddenly this other look that she couldn't quite place.

After a short time, Kate reappeared, holding another fish in her hands and grinning triumphantly at Kathryn.

"Is that enough or should I catch more fish for you?" She asked and winked at Kathryn, but she shook her head.

"No, I think two fish are enough for both of us." She explained, but Kate looked at her confused.

"For both of us, what do you mean?" She asked curiously, while she swam around in the water and watched Kathryn.

"Well, a fish for you and a fish for me." said Kathryn, but Kate frowned.

“But I don't need any food. I'm Borg, I get my energy from the solar sails or from another energy source." Replied Kate and swam to the edge of the pool and then stepped out of the water, took a towel out of the backpack and dried herself with it while Kathryn also left the water and went to her.

“But you're human too, so I have to insist that you eat something too. We have to take care of our health and do everything we can to survive as long as we wait to be rescued." Kathryn replied sternly and Kate looked at her with raised eyebrows, her left eyebrow surrounded by her ocular implant.

Kathryn looked at it puzzled and somehow something stirred in her memory. But as suddenly as it had come, as suddenly it was gone again.

"Is that an order?" Kate asked pointedly and Kathryn looked at her seriously.

"Yes, if you want it that way, then it's an order." Kathryn replied and put her hands on her hips and put on her command mask.

Kate looked at her in disbelief for a moment, then shook her head and began to giggle.

"How good that I am not under your command and therefore will not take any orders from you." She said while she put the towel aside, took off her wet bikini top and panties and then quickly put on her things.

Kathryn had turned around quickly to give Kate privacy.

“Kate, I'm serious. You should be eating just like me. It's necessary and I don't really know what the problem is. Please explain it to me." Asked Kathryn, while she took off her swimsuit herself, dried herself with a towel and then put herself back on.

“I just prefer not to eat anything. It is not something that I enjoy or like to do. It feels strange to me." Replied Kate and Kathryn turned back to her and looked at her closely.

"How strange does it feel to you?" She asked carefully and Kate looked at her a little pained.

“I just don't like it. Isn't that enough as a reason to refuse food?” Kate asked defensively and pouted at Kathryn.

"Hm ..." replied Kathryn and turned to the fish, which were now both dead on the jungle floor, and picked them up.

“Let's argue about it later and now first get the water and return to the wreck. The sun looks like it's going to set soon." Kathryn said sensibly, because she didn't want to argue with Kate at the moment. Even later she didn't want to argue with her and hoped that Kate would understand that food is something elementary, which she also needed to survive.


	10. Chapter 10

As soon as the women with the full water canister were back at the wreckage, Kathryn put it aside. Since the sun was slowly going down, Kathry quickly thought about what else they had to do in order not to be sitting in the dark soon.

"You best look for firewood while I'm gutting the fish and hanging up the wet swimwear." Kathryn explained and Kate looked at her grimly.

"What?" Asked Kathryn and also looked grimly at Kate.

“I would really prefer it if you didn't always order me around with orders. I'm not someone from your crew!" Replied Kate pouting and Kathryn rolled her eyes and counted to ten in her head, sighed deeply and then stepped up close to Kate. Next she put her hands on Kate's narrow hips and pulled the young woman close and looked at her gently and softly.

"I'm sorry, I'm too much of the Starfleet Captain and I often forget that in this situation I can't get very far with my rank and my mentality, but that I'm obviously bothering you. Please forgive me." Said Kathryn and kissed Kate on her cheek.

Kate immediately blushed and quickly turned away from Kathryn.

"Okay, okay. I'm looking for the damn firewood." She said and already trudged into the jungle.

Kathryn watched her with a crooked smile before she turned to the wreck and wanted to get a knife and various other things from it. But as soon as she approached the wreck, she suddenly screamed.

"Kaaaaaaaaate!"

Kate, who was already a few steps away, came running back immediately and looked at Kathryn in amazement, out of breath.

"Your tarantula!!! Can you please take her with you when you are looking for firewood and then drop her off somewhere?" Kathryn asked very kindly, knowing that Kate would better follow a request than an order.

Kate grinned crookedly at Kathryn, but then took the tarantula in her hands and smiled at it with shining eyes.

"Hello little honey spider, have you been waiting for me?" Kate asked almost tenderly and went into the jungle with the tarantula.

Kathryn watched after her, shaking her head while she listened to Kate as she continued to talk to the tarantula. She really hoped that Kate would come back later with the firewood, but without the tarantula.

Then she got what she needed from the wreck and got to work.

*******************************

After Kathryn had gutted the fish and hung up the wet bathing suits and towels, she looked nervously around after Kate, which still had not come back with the firewood. Damn it, where was she???

"Kate?" She called out into the jungle. But there was no answer.

"Kate? Where are you?" Kathryn called again, this time in a different direction. But this time too, nothing happened. Kathryn sighed deeply and then decided to look for firewood herself. To do this, she took a few steps into the jungle and hurriedly collected branches and twigs that she found sufficient for a campfire. With that she went back and began to make fire, just as she had learned earlier as a child with the girl scouts and later again during survival training at Starfleet Academy. While she was rubbing the dry wood against each other in such a way that light clouds of smoke emerged from it, it suddenly cracked behind her and she winced and looked around quickly.

Relieved that Kate, who had obviously returned without the tarantula but with firewood, Kathryn smiled at her.

"There you are again." said Kathryn, relieved, while she continued rubbing the wood together. Kate knelt next to her after she had freed her left arm from the firewood and watched Kathryn curiously.

"How do you know how to make a fire?" Asked Kate surprised and Kathryn explained it to her. Meanwhile Kate sat down next to her on the floor and put her right hand in her jacket pocket. After Kathryn had explained it to her, she looked at Kate questioningly.

“You was gone for a long time. I was worried." Kathryn explained and Kate looked at her puzzled.

"Why were you worried?" She asked and Kathryn sighed deeply.

“Well, it was getting dark and you just hadn't come back. A lot can happen out there in the jungle. Wild animals or other dangers. We shouldn't part anymore, the risk of something happening when we're alone is too great.” Kathryn explained, while she slowly covered the small embers that she had created with firewood so that the fire could grow.

Kate frowned at her, but then nodded her head while Kathryn distributed small pieces of wreckage around the fire, and then put a kind of pan that she had won from another piece of wreckage with the fish over the fire on the pieces of the wreckage, so that the fish was fried.

"What do you have in your jacket pocket?" Asked Kathryn, which was already wondering why Kate was hiding her hand in it since she returned.

Kate winced at the question and looked away, embarrassed, and seemed to ignore Kathryn's question.

"Kate?" Asked Kathryn again, now a little more concerned.

"It's nothing." Kate explained as she got up and climbed into the wreckage and lay down on the sleeping places that Kathryn had already prepared there that afternoon. There she carefully pulled out her right hand and examined her injury. Her nanoprobes were currently too weak to deal with the injury. Carefully she turned her hand in front of her eyes and was satisfied that the pressure bandage that she had tied with her bra was effective. It had stopped bleeding, which was a good sign. But Kathryn would certainly want to know how she was injured. Which would be pretty annoying to have to explain everything to her. So Kate wondered feverishly how to get around it.

Meanwhile Kathryn approached the wreckage and climbed inside. Kate immediately hid her injured hand as soon as she heard Kathryn approach.

"Kate, please tell me what happened." Kathryn asked and carefully pulled out Kate's hand and examined it more closely.

Kate frowned at her in amazement.

"How do you know something happened?" She asked curiously.

“On earth there is this saying *Children who are suddenly very calm, are either planning something soon or they have already done something.* And since it took you a long time to come back and then you were very quiet and now you also withdrew, I concluded that something must have happened while you were to long away. And since you hid your hand from me, I further assumed that something must have happened with you. It was logical conclusions." Kathryn explained gently, while she loosened the makeshift pressure bandage from Kate's hand and tried to take a closer look at the hand in the semi-dark part of the wreck.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" She asked softly and Kate looked at her with wide eyes.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Kathryn continued and gently stroked the back of Kate's hand, which was uninjured.

"My nanoprobes will heal the injury tomorrow when I have regenerated myself." Kate replied and Kathryn nodded her head before letting go of Kate's hand and standing up.

"Well. Does it hurt? Can I do anything for you?" Asked Kathryn, but Kate shook her head while she sat up and she watched at Kathryn as she looked for something in her travel bag.

As soon as Kathryn had found an undershirt, she grabbed the scissors, which she had found a few hours ago in the chaos of the wreckage, and cut the undershirt so that she got an elongated strip of fabric.

"Have you cleaned the wound?" She asked worriedly while she took Kate's injured hand in her again.

"I went to the waterfall and washed off the blood and then put the pressure bandage on." said Kate, embarrassed.

“Okay, it's not optimal, but that must be enough for your nanoprobes to take over the healing. I'll make you a new pressure bandage with the strips of fabric. I hope you don't get an infection by tomorrow." Said Kathryn, while she carefully wrapped the strip of cloth around Kate's injured hand.

"How does it feel?" She asked when she was done and Kate frowned at her.

"It's OK. But why are you so nice to me?" She asked curiously and Kathryn looked at her astonished.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I thought you'd scold and get the captain out again and all. But instead you bandage my hand and leave it up to me whether I tell you how it happened or not.” Kate explained irritated by Kathryn's current behavior.

"Hm ... well, there is no point in ranting now that has already happened, whatever has happened. Besides, you're a grown woman. I suppose you can take good care of yourself. Even though I think that you are definitely in the wrong job and made a very big mistake when you kidnapped me. But we're both stuck here and need to support each other. Arguing and scolding would only make our survival more difficult. Don't you think so?" Asked Kathryn, looking closely at Kate, who thought about it for a long moment and then nodded her head.

"I have to tell you something." Kate then said softly and Kathryn frowned.

"What?"

"I'm not a bounty hunter." Kate replied quietly and looked away, embarrassed, but Kathryn looked at her confused and put her hand under Kate's chin and turned her head slightly to her.

"What?" She asked, stunned. "Then please explain to me why you kidnapped me." Asked Kathryn, now a little bit acidic.

“I ... I work for an agency that plans special vacations. Bayjans love to go on those surprise vacations where they don't know where they're going and what's going to happen on their vacation. Bayjans are always looking to have fun, adventure, joy and beautiful moments.” Kate explained, but then stopped.

"Go on!" Demanded Kathryn and Kate raised her head and looked at her a little pained.

“A few days ago your first officer booked a surprise vacation for you. It was my job to kidnap you, fly you a little through space and then deliver you to a seemingly lonely island in the south of Bayja. I don't know what should happen to you there. But the island is mostly an indication that it should either be something romantic or something adventurous. No idea. I'm just the one who flies people back and forth. Not the mastermind that thinks up the surprise vacation.” Kate explained apologetically and Kathryn frowned at her.

“Why should my first officer book such a vacation for me? He had already put me in this great hotel, with the many leisure activities and the beautiful landscape." Kathryn said and Kate lifted her shoulder and let it sink in resignation.

“I don't know, you have to ask him that yourself. I really have not been informed what will happen on your surprise vacation or why this vacation was planned for you. I only got information about how you look, where you will be and what time I should pick you up. And to be honest, I had thought that I would be home by that time. Because if I had known that my job was going so badly this time, I would have regenerated several hours beforehand and would have been 100% operational. But I didn't know and I thought my energy would be enough for the short flight there and back.” Kate replied completely dejected.

Kathryn looked at her and wasn't sure how to classify this news. Why should Chakotay plan such a strange vacation for her, where she will be kidnapped and who knows what else would happen?

Kate sighed deeply.

“My agency has all the schedules, so you know that not everything went according to plan. They will have sent a search party and informed your crew. With the spaceship's warp signature, they'll find us pretty quickly. Do not worry. I think they'll have found us in a few hours at the latest, or maybe not until tomorrow." Kate explained quickly to minimize Kathryn's worries.

Kathryn looked at her puzzled.

"Ah, interesting. How long did you want to keep playing the act before you told me the truth?" Kathryn asked and Kate nibbled her lower lip.

"Kate?" Asked Kathryn and raised her eyebrows and looked closely at Kate.

"Hm ... honestly, it's not my job to tell you the truth. I mean, I have definitely lost my job and right now we have other worries, right? I also wanted to make it dependent on who comes to save us. For example, if your crew had shown up here first, I would have identified myself to your first officer and let him explain all of this to you. But if the people from the agency showed up here first, then they would take care of everything else and maybe the surprise vacation would have continued as planned without you ever having found out about it." replied Kate quietly.

"Ah ... you wanted to make it easy for yourself and continue to fool me?" Kathryn asked and looked at Kate disappointed.

"Hm ..." replied Kate simply and closed her eyes, because she couldn't stand Kathryn's disappointing look any longer.

"Why did you tell me now?" Kathryn asked curiously and Kate opened her eyes again and Kathryn could see clearly, even if it was already very dim in the wreck, that it shimmered suspiciously in Kate's eyes and Kate tried to shut the tears back hold.

"I ... I like you and I didn't want to lie to you any longer." Kate admitted and Kathryn looked at her gently, put her hand on Kate's cheek and stroked it gently.

"I like you too." she said softly, while her hand slipped behind Kate's neck and slowly and carefully pulled her head towards her.

Kathryn's lips fell very gently on Kate's full, soft lips and kissed them lightly. Then she pulled back and looked into Kate's crystal blue eyes, which had darkened a little. Kate's cheeks were slightly flushed and she put her fingers, her left hand, on her lips and looked at Kathryn questioningly.

"Why did you do that?" She asked, puzzled.

"Because I wanted to." Said Kathryn and winked at Kate encouragingly.

"Does that mean you're not mad at me for telling you what my real job was only now?" Kate asked carefully.

Kathryn sighed deeply and looked deep into Kate's eyes. She had kissed her and it was the best thing she had make in a very, very, very long time. Was she mad that Chakotay had such a crazy idea of a strange surprise vacation and that Kate had kidnapped her because of it? Yes she was. But was she angry with Kate for that? She was just doing her job and she was in danger herself. No, somehow she wasn't angry or mad at Kate. So she just nodded her head while stroking Kate's cheek with her hand.

Kate's worried look gave way to a gentle smile after Kathryn had confirmed with her nod that she wasn't mad at her. But before she could say anything else, Kathryn's stomach rumbled and Kathryn looked at her apologetically.

"I should go see the fish so we can get something to eat soon." she said as she got up again and then reached out her hand to Kate to help her get up.

Kate frowned at her for a moment, but then took Kathryn's hand and let her pull her up. Both women then climbed out of the wreckage and Kathryn immediately checked the fish. Kate sat down next to Kathryn at the small campfire and watched as Kathryn examined the fish and turned it so that the other side of the fish could also sear it.

Kathryn was happy that Kate had sat down next to her.

"I have something else to tell you." Kate said, barely audible. Kathryn looked away from the fish and at her.

"Oh what?" Asked Kathryn immediately alarmed.

"It's my fault we crashed." Kate replied with a deep sigh and looked down at her feet at the floor.

"How that?" Asked Kathryn with raised eyebrows.

“When I injected you with the liquid that then incapacitated you and you were unconscious in your sleeping place, I did not immediately go back to the control panel. I stayed with you and watched you for quite a while. I don't know how long, but I was fascinated by you. So it must have been a long time. And in that time something must have hit the spaceship and all hell broke loose." Kate explained quietly and guiltily.

Kathryn looked at Kate for a long moment.

"You couldn't have known that this led to a crash." Kathryn said simply and sighed deeply.

“No, I couldn't. But I should have returned to my place and done my duties. I'm sorry that I put you in danger and ruined your surprise vacation.” Kate said sincerely and looked shyly at Kathryn.

Kathryn patted her knee gently.

“Thanks for the apology. You can make it up to you." Replied Kathryn and winked at Kate encouragingly in the light of the campfire.

Kate sat up a bit and looked at Kathryn curiously.

"How?" She asked and Kathryn pointed her finger at the fish and Kate looked at her confused.

"I want you to eat some of it." Kathryn explained and Kate pouted and thought about it.

"Okay." she said resignedly and Kathryn smiled broadly at her while she handed Kate a little of the fish on a fork that she got from god knows where.

Kate took the fork and put the fish in her mouth and chewed on it, then swallowed it.

"And?" Asked Kathryn curiously.

"It ´s okay." Kate admitted and Kathryn grinned happily at her and then took the fork back from Kate and tried the fried fish. Somehow it didn't occur to her that it was improper to share a fork with Kate. She didn't even notice.


	11. Chapter 11

"Ufff..." groaned Kathryn with a sigh and changed her sleeping position again. She was cold and it was uncomfortable on the makeshift beds.

Kate, on the other hand, lay quietly in her sleeping place, right next to her. But she didn't seem to be asleep either. Her teeth even chattered a bit and her body seemed to be shaking too.

“Kate, let's slide closer together. I feel cold and you seem to feel the same way." Kathryn explained and Kate sat up abruptly and looked at Kathryn in the darkness. Through her borg senses, she could see Kathryn in the dark.

"Is that an order?" She asked, raising her eyebrows questioningly.

"No of course not. Look, this is just a survival trick. When you are cold, it is best to share your body heat with someone else. That way enough heat is generated that you won't freeze anymore." Kathryn explained calmly and Kate thought about it.

"Okay." She just said and lay down again and Kathryn slid her blanket closer to Kate. When she was close enough to Kate, she put her arm around Kate and snuggled up to her from the side. Kate turned on her side and Kathryn shifted a little further and put her arm around Kate's waist.

"Is it okay with you?" Kathryn asked softly in Kate's ear and Kate nodded her head.

Pretty quickly, Kate relaxed around Kathryn and Kathryn finally didn't feel so cold anymore. As soon as both women were warm enough, they fell asleep quickly.

*********************************

Kathryn was the first to wake up in the morning and found that she and Kate had changed their positions that night. Meanwhile, Kathryn halfway on Kate's body. Her head was on Kate's left shoulder and Kate had her left arm on Kathryn's back. Kathryn's left hand was on Kate's right chest and as soon as she noticed it, she blushed and carefully pushed her hand away from it, always careful not to wake Kate up. However, her left leg had slipped between Kate's legs and her thigh was pressing against Kate's crotch and her own crotch was on Kate's left leg. The way they were both intertwined, it was actually quite comfortable for Kathryn and, strangely enough, very familiar. Since she had only known Kate for two days, however, this position struck her as extremely inappropriate. So she tried slowly and carefully to detach herself from Kate's body and sneak away from her.

But Kate's left hand was on her back and held it gently so that she could not wriggle out of it without undoubtedly waking Kate. Therefore Kathryn sighed deeply and thought about how she could defuse this situation. Since Kathryn couldn't think of anything clever, she just stayed where she was and enjoyed being so close to Kate.

Kate, who had actually been awake for a while and enjoying the physical contact of Kathryn, pursed her lips slightly and breathed a gentle kiss on Kathryn's forehead as soon as she noticed that she was also awake.

Kathryn then raised her head and her lips fell tenderly on Kate's lips. The kiss was only light and gentle at first, but quickly became more intense and passionate as they pressed their bodies together and their hands restlessly glided over the other's body. It was only after both women had to take a breath that their lips parted and both women opened their eyes, while still holding each other tightly.

Kate smiled gently at Kathryn and Kathryn breathed another, but this time much more chaste, kiss on Kate's cheek.

"Good morning." she whispered in her coarse, hot voice, sending pleasant shivers through Kate's body.

"Good morning." she said shyly and looked at Kathryn with a flushed head.

Kathryn pulled away from Kate and sat up slightly, but before she could say anything, she suddenly stiffened and stared at something behind Kate. Kate turned her head and saw what had startled Kathryn. Laughing, she sat up too and took her tarantula in her hand.

"Hey little honey spider. Didn't I tell you that you'd better not climb into the wreckage?" Asked Kate, looking at the tarantula as if she expected an answer from her. Since none came, she sighed deeply and then looked apologetically at Kathryn, who had slipped a bit away from Kate.

“I told her not to climb in here. I'm sorry. But you know what, you should really make friends with her, then you wouldn't always be frightened of her.” Kate explained, while the tarantula climbed up her arm and then sat quietly on her shoulder.

Kathryn looked at the tarantula in disgust.

“I don't think I'll ever make friends with her. Can you take her out please?" Asked Kathryn.

"Yes of course. I'll be right back." Replied Kate, then got up and then climbed out of the wreckage with the tarantula.

“Tell me, maybe I should give you a name slowly, as often as you come to visit me. Hm ... maybe I should call you *Little creepy spider*, where you always scare Kathryn?" Kate asked and Kathryn shook her head at the sheer impossibility of Kate talking to the tarantula.

Relieved that the tarantula was out of the wreckage, Kathryn lay back on the bed and waited for Kate to come back. The good morning kiss really was a sensation and she would love to share more kisses with Kate. She would love to cover Kate's whole body with kisses and explore, taste, lick and moan her.

Amazed by her own thoughts and fantasies, Kathryn blushed and pulled her blanket over her head and hid under it.

A little later Kate came back and pulled the blanket off Kathryn's head and looked at her in amazement.

“The sun has already risen, but it's not ready for me to regenerate. I think I have to go down to the beach, because it will be able to charge my solar sail a lot better.” Kate explained and Kathryn looked at her puzzled.

"There's a beach here?" She asked curiously and Kate nodded her head.

"Yes, I discovered him last night, I hurt myself there too." Kate confessed and Kathryn looked at her questioningly.

"Now would you like to tell me how you hurt yourself?" She asked, but Kate looked away, embarrassed.

"Not really, it's pretty embarrassing." she muttered softly.

Kathryn sat up straight and took Kate's left hand in her hand.

"What happened?" She asked again gently and Kate turned her head back to her and looked closely at Kathryn. However, when she saw nothing but gentleness in Kathryn's gaze, she swallowed, twice, and then opened her mouth.

“I found an animal on the beach, it had an exoskeleton. I wanted to take a closer look and picked it up, but then his scissors hurt me." Kate confessed embarrassed and Kathryn had to stop giggling. Kate noticed it anyway and pouted at Kathryn.

"Pffff..." she just made and wanted to get up again. But Kathryn still held her hand.

“I'm sorry, please forgive me. I just imagined how you made contact with the cancer and unlike the tarantula, he did not want to become your friend. Please stay." Kathryn said gently and Kate still pouted at her, but sat next to her.

Kathryn smiled gently at her and leaned against her a little.

"I'm sure that your first failed contact to the said cancer, the second contact is much better." said Kathryn and glared at Kate teasingly. Kate gave her a crooked grin and nudged Kathryn in the side.

"Ouch" shouted Kathryn playfully and Kate grinned even wider at her.

"Oh, you are such a drama queen." she said, rolling her eyes.

"Me, a drama queen???" asked Kathryn in a playful, dramatic way and really made Kate laugh.

"Yes, exactly you!" She replied, while Kathryn wrapped her arms around her, she pushing on the sleeping area and began to tickle Kate, who then fidgeted, giggled and laughed.

Kathryn felt happy, she hadn't felt so carefree and comfortable for a long time, that she completely forgot that a Starfleet captain didn't behave so childishly. But especially here and now with Kate, she had really forgotten and felt so alive and happy, as she had not in ages.

Yes, she was happy. This realization hit her right now and she wondered why such a simple moment was enough to make her feel so good.

She started laughing and giggling together with Kate, while Kate had meanwhile also started to tickle Kathryn to get rid of her tickle attack.

For a long time they both tickled each other and laughed together. But then Kathryn was down on the bed and Kate sat on top of her. Both looked at each other breathless and flushed before Kate tilted her head down to Kathryn and her lips claimed Kathryn's lips and Kathryn pulled Kate into her arms.

Kathryn opened her lips and let her tongue slide over Kate's soft, full lips. Kate caught Kathryn's tongue with her lips and sucked on it a little before releasing it again and sliding her own tongue gently over Kathryn's lips. Kathryn's lips caught Kate's lower lip and nibbled lightly on it with her teeth as she pulled Kate's body all the way to herself. The kiss became heated second by second and both women completely forgot about the here and now. Until Kathryn accidentally bumped her hand against Kate's injured right hand and Kate winced and pulled away from Kathryn.

"I'm sorry, darling." Kathryn said immediately and looked at Kate worried.

"Darling?" Kate asked with raised eyebrows as she carefully held her hand with her left hand.

Kathryn cleared her throat and swallowed the lump in her throat and looked at Kate, embarrassed.

"Hm ... yes." Said Kathryn and looked shyly at Kate.

“In my employment contract it says that I am not allowed to date customers. I don't think customers are allowed to call me darling either." Kate said seriously and Kathryn looked at her with wide eyes.

Of course, there were also rules at Starfleet in this regard that no captain was allowed to connect romantically to a crew member. But Kate was only employed by an agency that sold and produced strange adventure vacations. She wasn't really serious now. Or?

"Kate???" asked Kathryn and Kate smiled broadly at her and pulled Kathryn into her arms.

“Since I've probably lost my job anyway, I don't think I need to worry about it anymore. But how about you?” She asked curiously.

"What do you mean?" Asked Kathryn and frowned at Kate.

“I mean, as soon as we are saved, our ways will part again. Are you sure you want to keep kissing me and calling me darling?" Asked Kate seriously.

Damn it, Kathryn hadn't thought about that yet. Somehow so much had happened since the day before yesterday that she had completely forgotten that there would be a life after these adventures at some point. Kate was right, it was time to think about it and not move things forward so quickly. And maybe it was best to end this thing between her and Kate right now before it got complicated.

Kathryn wriggled out of Kate's embrace and looked at her sadly.

"You're right. We should really be sensible and not pursue this between us." Kathryn explained and Kate looked at her disappointed.

"Okay." She said and then got up and left the wreckage.

Kathryn looked after her sadly.


	12. Chapter 12

While Kate sat leaning against a palm tree in the shade on the beach and her solar sail was positioned so that the sun could shine it as much as possible and thus Kate could regenerate optimally, Kathryn roamed the surrounding area.

Before they went to the beach, Kathryn had cut up her red blouse and then marked the path from the wreckage to the beach with the red scraps of fabric. So she could now deviate a little from the marked route, but only a few steps without getting lost.

In Kate's backpack she had stowed some fruits that she found in the jungle and then brought them back to the wreckage. Every now and then she looked at Kate, but since this god damn tarantula had somehow found its way back to Kate and was now sitting on her lap, she only looked from afar to see if Kate was okay.

While Kathryn explored the area more closely, she thought about Kate and how she felt for the young woman. No doubt she had fallen in love with Kate. Which was pretty crazy when she'd only known Kate for two days and didn't know very much about her. But it was what it was. The waking up in the morning so close to Kate and the kisses that followed were just sensational.

Kathryn sighed deeply ...

But suddenly out of the blue a brilliant idea came to her. Kate herself had told her yesterday that she had probably lost her job. So what was stopping her from coming on Voyager? In addition, she is human and should therefore also live among people and travel with them into the Alpha Quadrant. That would be a pretty brilliant thing. They would find some kind of job for Kate and the two of them could then become a couple. Kate was not under her orders and would probably never take any orders from Kathryn. That much was already certain. Kate had made that clear several times yesterday.

Pleased and relieved that this great idea had occurred to her, her mood lifted many times over. Too bad that Kate still had to regenerate at least 2-3 hours and Kathryn had to wait so long before she could tell Kate her idea.

So Kathryn sat down in the shade and watched Kate's calm form from a distance and the more she thought about Kate and herself, the more concerned she became about her idea. She didn't know Kate very well, would it even work with her in a relationship? What if not? Damn it, why did she just fall in love with her? How did that happen?

Kathryn's mood was gone, annoyed she went back to the part of the wreck and looked for something to do. First she collected firewood and made a fire to boil the water from the canister. After that was done, she drank a cup of coffee herself from the thermos that Neelix had packed for her and ate some of the goodies. But no matter what she did, Kate kept coming back to her mind. Kate how she jumped elegantly from the cliff at the waterfall, Kate how she had teased Kathryn and pulled her under the water. Kate and her full soft lips that moved gently on her lips and then kissed her deeply.

Damn it! Kathryn felt like a stupid teenager who had his first crush. That was annoying. She was a Starfleet Captain and had to get her crew back home to the Alpha Quadrant! How could she fall in love with Kate, hope that she would come with her on her spaceship and seek a relationship with Kathryn? Where was her sense of reality gone? It couldn't be that she was sitting here in love and indulging in fantasies completely beside herself.

Angry, Kathryn got up and looked for the next task, hoping that it would distract her from her thoughts on Kate.

*********************************

"Hey hello, what are you doing there?" Kate asked curiously and stepped next to Kathryn, who was knocking a fruit that looked like a coconut like a wild one against a stone.

Kathryn looked up startled and looked at Kate in amazement because she had switched on her bio shield emitter and now looked like the Bayjan young woman again, who had met Kathryn two days ago at the pool.

"Kate, there you are already, why did you turn on your bio shield emitter?" She asked surprised and Kate looked at her embarrassed.

“Yes, I've finished regenerating. I was surprised that you weren't on the beach.” Kate said quietly and sat down next to Kathryn,put the tarantula to one side so that Kathryn wasn't startled by it again and looked at Kathryn, who had started again the fruit on the stone to beat.

"I thought you'd like my Bayjan appearance better." Kate explained quietly and Kathryn looked at her with narrowed eyes and paused in what she was doing.

"How did you get it? I like you the way you are, you don't have to be anyone else. Please turn off the bio shield emitter again." Asked Kathryn and hit the fruit on the stone again.

"And the reason I wasn't at the beach was because I had a lot to do." Kathryn said, breathing heavily, as she was slowly running out of strength from knocking the fruit on the stone.

"I see it, but what do you want to achieve with what you're doing right now?" Kate asked curiously as she switched off her bio shield emitter and physically changed back to the real Kate. Kathryn stopped and looked at Kate again with narrowed eyes.

“I'm trying to get the fruit. But no matter how hard I hit the stone, it just won't open." Kathryn explained annoyed. On the one hand because this damn fruit just didn't want to rise and on the other hand because Kate's appearance had triggered a tingling sensation in her stomach and her thoughts began to buzz again.

"Hm ... maybe that's because you're trying to open it completely wrong." Kate pointed out and Kathryn looked at her with open mouth.

"Oh, and you know how to open it?" She asked challengingly and Kate grinned sweetly at her.

"Yeah, sure. It's a Babita fruit, it's everywhere on Bayja, you can buy it in every grocery store and also in the marketplaces.” Kate explained with a wink and took the fruit from Kathryn. She deliberately ran her fingers over Kathryn's fingers and enjoyed the brief physical contact very much. Just like Kathryn, whose breathing had stopped for a moment and who was looking at Kate with a look that could clearly be classified as wistful.

Kate brought the babita fruit to her lips and gently blow over it. And suddenly, quite unexpectedly, the fruit opened and unfolded. Kathryn stared at Kate with open mouth and wide eyes.

"What? How?" She asked after she had composed herself again.

“The Babita fruit reacts to a draft. If it is still hanging on the babita tree and the wind brushes over the fruits, they open and the seeds fall out and are carried on. This is the most effective way of spreading them over a larger area. A babita fruit that falls down from the babita tree only opens when you blow over it. On the other hand, it doesn't react if you try to break it open with force, like you did.” Kate explained confidently and gave Kathryn the Babita fruit back.

“The seeds are edible and don't even taste that bad. Try it, maybe there is something comparable to something you know in your world." Said Kate and looked at Kathryn attentively.

Kathryn looked into the Babita fruit and found many small pink seed buds cavorting in it. Carefully she put her hand into the fruit and loosened some of the seeds and put them in her mouth, then chewed on it.

Frowning, she wondered what the taste reminded her of.

"Tastes a bit nutty." she replied and handed the fruit to Kate. But Kate shook her head.

"I don't need any food, but thanks for trying again and again." Kate said and grinned gently at Kathryn. "If you want, we can move the wreckage and straighten it now." Kate offered and Kathryn nodded her head, put the Babita fruit aside and walked over to the leaning wreck.

Kate circled the wreck together with Kathryn to see why it was so lopsided. The front of the wreck had been pushed into the jungle floor on impact and was therefore in a lopsided position. So if they wanted to straighten it up again, they had to pull or push the wreck out of the ground.

Kate doubted that Kathryn would be strong enough for that. She valued herself strength very highly, but she wasn't sure whether she could do it. But it was worth a try.

“Either we pull out the wreck or we push it. To pull we need a rope.” Kate explained matter-of-factly and Kathryn looked at her with a frown and wondered where they could get a rope. Since she hadn't found rope of the stuffs that might be useful for.

"We could tie a rope from the lianas I saw at the waterfall yesterday and try it that way." Kathryn explained when she remembered them. She quickly climbed into the wreckage to get a knife to cut the lianas.

"Do we have to climb a tree again?" Kate asked annoyed and rolled her eyes, but Kathryn shook her head.

“No, we don't have to climb a tree because I'll do it all by myself. But you are welcome to help me with this.” She said with a wink and walked past Kate and into the jungle. Kate picked up her tarantula from the jungle floor and put it carefully in her jacket pocket and followed Kathryn quickly.

"Kathryn, how do you know the way to the waterfall?" Asked Kate after a while, when they were already deep in the jungle.

Kathryn turned to Kate and looked at her thoughtfully for a moment.

"I don't even know the way." She confessed and Kate looked at her with sparkling eyes.

"Hmm ... shouldn't I go ahead and lead us to the waterfall?" She asked and winked at Kathryn. Kathryn sighed deeply, then raised her hand and instructed Kate to step forward and show them the way.

"Why didn't you take the lead right away?" Kathryn asked pouting and Kate grinned at her.

“You went forward as if you knew the way. I did not want to stop you. But after we actually deviated from the direct route to the waterfall, I just wanted to ask if you know where to go." Replied Kate and then took the lead.

"Aha." Kathryn mumbled and walked sullenly after Kate. But she had a very nice view of Kate's buttocks, which moved so wonderfully back and forth while Kate walked that she quickly forgot her displeasure.

A little later both women arrived at the waterfall and Kathryn pointed to the lianas that she had seen yesterday. Both went over, but suddenly Kathryn stopped and grabbed Kate by the arm.

"Kate, look over there, something is blinking." Kathryn explained and Kate looked in the direction in which Kathryn's finger was pointing.

“It wasn't there yesterday." Kate whispered softly and Kathryn nodded her head. If it had been there yesterday, she would surely have noticed it too.

"Are we ignoring it or do we want to take a closer look?" Kate asked uncertainly.

“I would be for ignoring, but in our current situation what is blinking over there could also be something that could help us. So I would suggest we carefully take a closer look at it." Replied Kathryn, who had slipped back into her captain mode.

Kate raised her eyebrows skeptically and examined them closely.

"It could be a trap!" She pointed out and Kathryn nodded her head.

“Yes, it could, but who would want to trap us? Unless that is part of the surprise vacation?" Kathryn asked pointedly.

Kate looked at her with wide eyes.

"You mean that is part of it and the agency came up with all of this?" She asked, stunned.

“Well, I am really considering that possibility. I mean you kidnapped me and told me a lie about the bounty hunter and reward before you told me the truth yesterday. So how far would your agency go to keep the surprise vacation exciting and interesting?" Asked Kathryn and Kate nibbled on her lower lip and thought.

"I don't know, I haven't worked in the agency long enough to know exactly how you react in certain situations to keep the surprise vacation going." Kate admitted quietly and looked at Kathryn a little uncertainly.

“Okay, it definitely doesn't help to stop here and puzzle over. We'll go now and take a closer look at the object and then we'll see what will happen." Kathryn decided and went in the direction of the blinking object. Kate sighed deeply, but went there with Kathryn.

As soon as the two women got so close to the flashing object that they were only 1-2 steps away from it, it suddenly opened and a gas flowed out. Before the two could react, the gas had already caught them and both women collapsed unconscious on the jungle floor.

Five laughing men who looked very daring, rough and unkempt, came out of their hiding place in the jungle and approached Kathryn and Kate.

"Nice work, let's take them to the spaceship and then get out of here." Declared a tall, stocky man with a shaggy beard and an eye patch over his right eyes.

Two men picked up Kate and Kathryn and shouldered them, then followed the Bearded Man and the others through the jungle to their spaceship.


	13. Chapter 13

"Urgggg ..." Kathryn groaned when she came to and tried to get up. First she noticed Kate, who was lying on the floor next to her. When Kathryn let her gaze wander, the second thing she noticed was that they were no longer in the jungle, but were in a small, dirty room.

Since she heard a familiar hum, she could immediately deduce that they were on a spaceship. Before she could think about anything else, Kate stirred beside her and groaned as she tried to straighten up again.

"What happened? Where are we?” She asked immediately after she had noticed the new surroundings and tried to sit up.

“I don't know, I've only just come to myself. Are you okay?" Kathry asked gently and Kate nodded her head.

"Yes and you?" She asked.

"Except for the headache, I'm fine. Damn it, where are we?" Kathryn asked after she had straightened up and walked through the small dirty room and was now standing in front of a force field that was activated.

"Ahhhh ... the ladies woke up. I am pleased to make your acquaintance." Suddenly a deep, rough voice sounded and the owner of this voice stepped right in front of the force field and expanded in front of it.

Kathryn and Kate looked at this bearded, rough-legged tall man who had an eye patch on.

"I am Karademus Daijshu and I am delighted that you have accepted my invitation so magnanimously." He explained and began to laugh deeply and dirty, putting his hands on his hips.

"Why are we here?" Kathryn asked diplomatically in the best captain mode.

“You are here because I caught you like two little chickens after we picked up and intercepted your emergency call. And now I intend to sell you on Hundra Dormus on the slave market.” Karademus Daijshu explained with a laugh and Kathryn's expression darkened. She was fed up with being kidnapped all the time, by every scoundrel who ran around it.

“Look, I'm Starfleet Captain on a very well armed spaceship. Let us free immediately or my crew will pursue and destroy you!" Shouted Kathryn powerfully, but Karademus Daijshu just laughed at her and then left the two women alone.

"You see, I sent an emergency call before we crashed." Whispered Kate and looked at Kathryn in an encouraging way, but Kathryn really had no nerve for it.

"Damn!!! Kate is this just a staging of your agency or are we really in danger here?" Kathryn asked angrily and looked at Kate defiantly.

“I think we are really in danger here. I could change my bioelectric field by activating the corresponding nanoprobes and thus go through the force field and disable it. But for that I would have to adjust my cranial implant differently.” Kate explained matter-of-factly and Kathryn looked at her hopefully.

"Okay, do that then!" She demanded, but Kate shook her head.

“I need your help for this. I can't make this change by myself." Kate explained and Kathryn looked at her thoughtfully.

“How can I help you, what do we need for that? Would it work with a microwire?" Asked Kathryn and grabbed her left breast. Not finding her communicator there, as usual, she frowned and looked at Kate with an odd look.

"Déjà-vu" she mumbled softly and at that moment a stabbing pain flashed through her head, as the word and the present feeling that she had already experienced it all triggered her. So she put her hands to her head and pressed against it. Kate looked at her worried and helped Kathryn to sit on the deck floor.

Shortly thereafter, Kathryn collapsed unconscious, but in her head she was inundated with all the memories she had of Seven that she had erased only two days ago.

Kate held Kathryn's head gently in her hands in her lap.

"Kathryn? Hey don’t give up. Come back to you, I need your help if we want to get out of here.” Kate murmured, while she gently brushed Kathryn's hair from the face.

“Do you actually know that we are not alone here? I packed *Little creepy spider* in my jacket pocket before we went down to the waterfall. You'd better come to yourself again if you don't want me to put them on your chest!” Kate explained, hoping that Kathryn would hear her and would come back to herself instantly.

Since that didn't happen, Kate sighed deeply, but nevertheless carefully unpacked her tarantula from her jacket pocket and set it down on the deck floor. Since the tarantula was also made unconscious by the gas, it padded shakily on its 8 legs through the prison cell.

"It was worth a try. Apparently Kathryn has lost her fear of you because otherwise she would have come back to herself and cursed you." Kate said and giggled a little before looking down at Kathyrn again worriedly.

"Kathryn?" Kate asked again and gently shook Kathryn's head a little, hoping to make her conscious again. Since that didn't happen, however, she just continued to hold Kathryn gently and waited for her to wake up, while her tarantula slowly but shakily approached the force field. As soon as she bumped into it, however, she was repelled by it and flew across the prison cell.

Kate watched the spectacle in shock. Then she laid Kathry's head gently on the deck floor and hurried to her tarantula and gently picked it up.

“Oh dear, what nonsense you are doing. Are you okay?" She asked worriedly and looked closely at her tarantula.

Meanwhile, Kathryn's eyes fluttered open and she looked around uncertainly in the prison cell. As soon as she saw Kate sitting a few paces away with her tarantula, her gaze became loving and tender.

"Seven ..." she mumbled softly and Kate looked at her confused and came to her and knelt next to her.

"Hey, there you are again. Are you all right?" Kate asked carefully when she saw the tears welling out of Kathryn's eyes and Kathryn looked at her very, very, very strangely and immediately pulled her into her arms and hugged her very tightly.

"Yes, I'm fine, don't worry. I just finally found you again darling." Kathryn explained with a sniff and completely happy.

"Um ... you already realize that I'm holding the tarantula on my hand?" Asked Kate in amazement.

But Kathryn wasn't interested in that at the moment.

"I don't give a shit." she replied while hugging Kate even tighter.

Kate frowned and turned a bit from Kathryn's hug and looked at her worriedly.

"Kathryn, you scare me, do you have a fever or something?" Kate asked worried and nibbled on her lower lip.

“No, I'm doing wonderfully. I finally got you back darling. After the Borg queen kidnapped you 9 months ago and erased your memories of me and your time with us, I gave up all hope of ever finding you again. And now, look at us, there you are and I am here and my memories of you, which I had deleted just two days ago, have returned. So that I can recognize you again. I'm so incredibly happy." Kathryn chattered excitedly to herself, while Kate just looked at her confused.

"Woah ... take it easy. What do you mean to say to me?" Kate asked confused and looked at Kathryn clearly confused.

"I mean to say that you are my wife and that I have missed you terribly for the last few months and now that you are back in my life, I am overjoyed." Kathryn confessed and looked at Kate happily while tears of happiness passed over her cheeks ran.

"What? Wait ... I was on your spaceship? You were my penultimate mission? So you are responsible that all my Borg implants were removed?" Kate asked annoyed and got up from the deck and looked at her very angry.

"Seven understand, I love you and that we had to remove your Borg implants back then, was to save your life. But you know, I think we should save ourselves now and I'll explain it to you in more detail later." Kathryn said, but at the moment Kate didn't look a bit like she would be ready to drop the subject or cooperate with her escape plan.

"Hm ... I don't believe you. If you love me so much, why did you let your memories of me be deleted so easily?" Kate asked furiously and Kathryn looked at her wistfully.

“Because it hurt so much to have to live without you every day. You are the only person in this galaxy that I love so deeply that every day without you has drawn me more and more into a dark hole from which I could no longer find my way. And then there was this commercial on Bayja on TV that promised me just that. I thought that would be my salvation. I'm sorry i did this. Please Kate trust me and help us get out of here. Unless you like the idea of being sold as a slave at a slave market?" Kathryn asked pointedly and Kate grimaced at the idea.

"But I don't remember you or a life on your spaceship." Kate explained desperately. Kathryn got up quickly, pulled her into her arms and hugged her lovingly. Kate accepted it, but didn't return the hug.

“Don't worry, everything will be fine. Just let's get out of here for now. Okay?" Kathryn asked softly and let go of Kate. Kate straightened her shoulders and nodded her head.

"Okay" she said quietly.

As soon as Kathryn helped Kate readjust her cranial implant, Kate stepped through the force field and went to a work console nearby. There she switched off the force field and both women left the cell wing together with the tarantula. To their luck they found a small shuttle in the hangar deck, which they quickly boarded.


	14. Chapter 14

Kate immediately sat at the control console, while Kathryn took a seat next to her. Then Kate started the shuttle and used it to break through the bulkheads of the slave ship and drill a large hole in the rear of the spaceship.

Kate quickly entered a course with her long, slender fingers that would bring her back to Bayja. Kathryn sincerely hoped that Karademus Daijshu and his team wouldn't notice that they had fled.

After the two quickly left the slave ship with the shuttle and slowly the adrenaline in their nerve tracts subsided, both sat quietly next to each other.

"Kate?" Asked Kathryn softly.

"Hm?"

"Give me your hand, please." Kathryn asked in a whisper and Kate looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Why?" She asked puzzled and Kathryn gave a wry smile.

"I'm scared." Kathryn confessed quietly and Kate looked at her really confused before she looked at Kathryn with a wry smile.

"Woah ... this is the first time you admit that you are afraid. Are you all right?" Asked Kate worried, but Kathryn shook her head.

"I'm fine, I'm just scared of losing you one more time. Please just give me your hand, will you?" Kathryn asked again and Kate nodded her head and let her hand slide into Kathryn's hand. Kathryn's and Kate's fingers slipped into each other and locked together. Kathryn immediately felt less anxious and looked at Kate lovingly.

“I ... I'm not Seven or your wife anymore. You know? I don't remember either of us. I'm not sure I can give you what you want so dearly." Kate whispered into the darkness of the shuttle, which was only illuminated by the flashing lights of the control console.

"I know, but right now it just feels good to hold your hand in my hand. Thank you.” Kathryn said softly back.

"It's okay." said Kate and gently nudged Kathryn on her side. Kathryn squealed in surprise and then grinned at Kate.

"Hm ... maybe I should leave you behind, as cheeky as you are to me." Replied Kathryn and Kate skeptically raised her ocular implant.

"Yes, as if you were leaving me behind. As crazy as you are after me You even hugged me earlier, even though *little creepy spider* was on my hand." Said Kate and Kathryn rolled her eyes playfully.

"That was before, but now you're cheeky, of course that changes everything!" Kathryn explained with a crooked grin.

"Ahhhh ... that's how it is, but I'm reassured. Because my plans didn't include a trip to the Alpha Quadrant." whispered Kate back as she corrected the course to Bayja.

"What kind of plans do you have?" Asked Kathryn surprised and looked closely at Kate from the side.

“We wanted to earn enough Skronzos and then open a bookstore with a small café in it. So the Bayjans can drink their coffee while they read into the books." Kate explained and Kathryn looked at her, blinking and surprised.

"We?" She asked curiously and Kate nodded her head.

“Yes, Laria and me. Laria and I live in an apartment together. She took me in when I got to Bayja and had no idea where to go. She also got me the job in the agency. The bookstore is her dream and she tells so much about it that in my head it's always about the bookstore. All Skronzos that are not spent on rent or anything else important are put back and saved. And eventually we will have enough Skronzos to buy the shop. And Max, he had asked me for a date recently and Laria said that we would make such a beautiful couple." Said Kate and Kathryn's heart contracted painfully.

Kate and Laria's dream of a bookstore was pretty big. And then this Max !!! Kate would never give up this dream and this man and want to live with her on Voyager.

So what was the point of finding her Seven in Kate again if she would undoubtedly lose Kate / Seven because she had plans, dreams and dates that Kathryn could never fulfill? Damn!!!

Kathryn gently let go of Kate's hand and turned away from her. She didn't want Kate to see her tears come out of her eyes.

Kate put her hand on Kathryn's shoulders and stroked it lightly.

“How good that you find me too cheeky and don't want to take me with you any more. Right?” Kate said quietly, quite aware that this was best for both of them.

"Yes." Said Kathryn in her brittle, rough voice and began to cry silently.

Kate put *little creepy spider* down on the floor and gently hugged Kathryn with both of her arms.

“I like you, but you scare me because you expect or hope for things from me that I don't know how to or how to fulfill, because I'm not your Seven, but Kate. I have a life on Bayja and you have a life on your spaceship. I don't want to hurt you or make you cry. I'm sorry." Kate whispered softly in Kathryn's ear and Kathryn sobbed a little louder than she would have liked.

She turned around quickly and pulled Kate into her arms and held her tightly to her body. After a long moment, she let go of Kate and smiled gently at her while her hand caressed Kate's cheek.

“I love you and your happiness is very important to me. I have always wished for you that you would be happy and loved. And if that means you'll have it all on Bayja, I won't get in your way. I am glad and happy for you. Even if it will make my heart ache again to leave you on Bayja, I will survive it because I know that you are happy and will lead a beautiful life." Kathryn explained with a still very rough voice and looked at Kate lovingly .

Kate swallowed, twice, and gave Kathryn a gentle look too.

"Thank you," she said softly and then looked around at *little creepy spider* embarrassed and sat her down near the control console.

Both women were lost in thought afterwards. Kathryn, who was quite exhausted from the last two days, even fell asleep in her seat.

Kate looked over at the sleeping Kathryn every now and then.


	15. Chapter 15

As soon as Kate reached Bayja, she landed exactly where she left with her spaceship two days ago. Before leaving the shuttle, she breathed one last gentle kiss on Kathryn's cheek. Then she went quietly and left the deeply sleeping Kathryn alone.

Outside, she first had to orientate herself briefly until she took the right path and in the twilight found the abandoned vehicle. Kate quickly turned the vehicle around after turning on her bio shield emitter and looking like a Bayjan woman again. Then she drove back down the dirt road until she came to the road. There she steered the vehicle in the opposite direction from the hotel and drove through the night to the next town. She then parked the vehicle at a train station and boarded the train that went in the direction that went to her town, where she shared an apartment with Laria.

Kate thought about Kathryn as the train drove. She very much hoped that the older woman wouldn't be too angry with her for leaving her like that. But actually, well, she personally hated saying goodbye because it was always difficult for her. She hadn't said goodbye to her friends on Latrella either.

Completely tired and a bit battered, she arrived at her apartment some time later in the evening. She entered quietly so as not to wake Laria if she was already asleep. But before Kate knew it, Laria had rushed up to her and pulled her into a warm hug and held her very tight.

“Kate, where have you been? I was so worried about you. The agency is beside itself and is looking for you and the guest. What happened? Tell me!” Laria chattered and finally released Kate.

Kate turned off her bio-sign emitter first and then looked at Laria with a rather sad expression on her face before bursting into tears. Laria, the only one who knew that she was once a Borg drone, quickly pulled her back into her arms and tried to comfort her.

"Hey babe, what's going on? Come on tell me!” Laria asked gently as she pulled Kate to the sofa and they both sat down on it.

"I ... I think I'm ... in love ... but ..." sniffed Kate and Laria looked at her with wide eyes.

"But? Come on tell me what happened in the last three days?" Laria asked and Kate told her everything exactly and didn't leave out a single detail. In between she pulled her tarantula out of her jacket pocket and terrified Laria with it.

But now that Kate had told everything, Laria sat quietly next to her and shook her head.

"Your wife?" She asked stunned and Kate nodded her head.

"Insane. And you're in love with her?“ Laria asked further and again Kate nodded her head.

"Then why are you here and not with her?" Laria asked further and Kate looked at her with wide eyes, in which tears were collecting again.

"I don't know ..., I ... got scared." Kate replied and Laria looked at her and rolled her eyes.

“Oh Kate. Come on, let's go to sleep first and tomorrow think about how we can fix the mess again. Okay?" Laria asked and Kate sighed deeply, but then nodded her head and lazily got up from the sofa while she took her little creepy spider with her.

“Um ... the tarantula can't stay here under any circumstances. I'll take her with me tomorrow and then leave her in the jungle." Laria explained decisively, while she pushed Kate to her room. Kate looked at her pouting, but knew very well that as Laria never change her minds and therefore it was no use arguing with her.

"Okay," said Kate dejectedly and went into her room.

Laria sighed deeply and then went back into the living room to call the agency and let them know that Kate had appeared again.

******************************

"Kate?" Asked Kathryn immediately when she was startled from the armchair in which she had fallen asleep.

But since she was alone in the shuttle, she received no answer. Kathryn ran her hands through her hair and sighed deeply. Then she got up from the chair with a little stiff joints and looked around. First in the small shuttle, then she went outside. Since it was already dark, she couldn't see much. Frustrated and angry, she got back into the shuttle and started it.

Once in orbit, she circled the planet on the shuttle in search of Voyager. As soon as they found her, she called them.

"This is Captain Janeway, I offer permission to come on board."

Harry Kim, who had been enjoying his last day of shore leave yesterday, looked up from his console, confused. As far as he was informed, the captain was still on shore leave for at least 4 days.

"Kommander?" He asked and Chakotay looked over at him.

"Yes?" He asked curiously.

"I just got a message from Captain Janeway, she offers permission to come on Voyager with her shuttle." Harry explained and Chakotay frowned at him.

"Hail her." he said and Harry opened a communication channel.

"Captain, what happened?" Chakotay asked as soon as he saw Kathryn appear on the big screen.

"Quite a lot, but for now I ask for permission to fly to Voyager with the shuttle." Asked Kathryn.

"Please granted." Chakotay replied and looked at Kathryn with a wry smile.

"Thanks and Kommander, I want to see you and Tuvok as soon as I land." said Kathryn and cut off the communication.

Chakotay looked over at Harry and then at Tuvok.

"Hm ..., Mr. Kim, you have the bridge." Chakotay explained before he entered the turbolift with Tuvok and drove it to the hangar deck.

As soon as they got down on the hangar deck, they saw Kathryn navigate the shuttle into the Voyager.

“Tuvok, we have been kidnapped by a slave ship, please inform the relevant authorities. Maybe you can arrest this gang and thus prevent other innocent people from being kidnapped by them.” Kathryn ordered as soon as she got off the shuttle.

Tuvok had raised his eyebrows briefly, but then nodded to her and then hurried out of the hangar deck with quick steps to arrange everything necessary.

Kathryn had her hands on her hips and looked grimly at Chakotay.

"What were you thinking, first renting me in the hotel and then having me kidnapped so that I could get a surprise vacation?" she asked angrily and Chakotay went pale for a moment.

“Yes, I know about it. So please explain yourself! "Demanded Kathryn, while she quickly stepped out of the hangar deck and walked to the next turbolift.

"How do you know about it and what exactly happened?" Asked Chakotay when they entered the turbolift and Kathryn instructed it to take them to deck 3.

“Don't distract, I asked you first. So what was it all about?" Kathryn said while she got out of the turbolift and headed for her quarters, which she hadn't been in for 9 months, and immediately went to her replication and a cup of coffee replicated.

With that she sat down on her couch and looked challengingly at Chakotay. Chakotay put his hand on the back of his neck and scratched himself as he quickly considered what to tell Kathryn.

"Well?" Asked Kathryn impatiently.

"Kathryn look, you've been so down and depressed for the past 9 months. Nothing really interested you, nothing was important to you anymore. Yes, sure you did your job as captain excellently, but nothing more. It was only a duty for you, but your heart and your head were no longer involved. And when I had booked a surprise vacation on Bayja myself and was so excited about it, I thought that this would also be something for you that could inspire you again and distract you a little from your grief and pain. I didn't mean anything bad and I knew you were afraid of having too much time to think. And then such a surprise vacation was a practical option.” Chakotay explained and looked gently at Kathryn.

Kathryn sighed deeply. Chakotay was right, she hadn't really put her heart into it for the past few months. However when she missed Seven so much and couldn't get over the fact that she was gone? That's why she had her memories erased. Damn!!!

"Will you tell me now what happened and how do you know that I booked a surprise vacation?" Chakotay asked carefully and Kathryn told him everything.

Starting with the erasure of her memories of Seven, then the first encounter with Kate, the kidnapping, the crash, the two days in the jungle, the kidnapping of Karademus Daijshu again and how they escaped and then how she got her memories back and found out Kate is actually Seven.

Chakotay stared at Kathryn with open mouth and wide eyes.

“Wow, you've experienced a lot in that short time. Where's Seven, why didn't you bring her home with you?” He asked curiously and Kathryns looked at him sadly and dejected.

“Kate has a life on Bayja, she has dreams, plans and a boyfriend. I don't have the right to take that away from her. She knows how I feel for her and I told her that I will not stand in her way, but that I will be happy for her because I know that she is happy on Bayja.” Kathryn explained with a sigh and Chakotay looked at her in dismay.

"And that was it then ???" he asked, shocked.

“Yes, that was it then. Although I think it's pretty horrible that Kate didn't even say goodbye to me." Kathryn explained now, almost in tears. Chakotay immediately sat down next to her on the couch and pulled her into a comforting hug.

“I'm sorry, but maybe we can do something about it. I could Laria, my ... “ Before he could continue talking, Kathryn stopped him and looked at him in amazement.

"Wait...Laria? Kate mentioned that her roommate is called Laria. Is that the same Laria you know?" Asked Kathryn and looked at Chakotay hopefully.

“It could very well be possible. Laria was my companion on my surprise vacation. She recommended that I book a surprise vacation for you. I must have told her a little bit about you and how you are and she said that such a surprise vacation would work wonders. And if Kate / Seven is also employed at the agency, like Laria, then she definitely is. I could try to call the agency tomorrow and find Laria if you want.” Chakotay said and Kathryn's eyes immediately began to light up.

"Okay." Said Kathryn, overwhelmed by the chance to get another chance to say goodbye to Kate. Because she had been quite disappointed when she woke up in the shuttle and Kate was no longer there.

“Well, let's do it then. Um ... "

"Yes?" Asked Kathryn curiously.

"Are you staying here in your quarters or are you moving to Sevens quarters to sleep there?" Chakotay asked and only then did Kathryn notice that she was in her and Seven's quarters and that she no longer minded being here at all.

“No, I'm staying here. It's OK. I'll take a bath first. I think I deserved it.” Kathryn replied and winked at Chakotay.

“Well, I'll ask Neelix to prepare something delicious for you for dinner. Are you okay?” He asked as he got up from the couch.

"Yes I'm fine. I now know that Seven is fine and as Kate she will hopefully lead a beautiful and happy life. And the prospect of being able to say goodbye to her really helps me a lot." Kathryn replied and smiled at Chakotay.

Chakotay smiled back at her in delight, then said goodbye and to let Neelix know about dinner.

Kathryn got up with her now empty coffee cup and recycled it. Then she went through her quarters to her bathroom and took a hot bath.


	16. Chapter 16

"Hey sleepyhead, wake up!" Laria shook Kate's shoulder roughly until she opened her eyes more or less and looked at Laria in confusion. She had such a beautiful dream from and with Kathryn.

They had been snuggled together on the beach and kissed. It was the kind of kisses that got hot and dirty quickly, the kind that made your whole body tingle and hum and that asked for more. The desire to explore, tease, taste and desecrate the body of the other longed. And exactly at that moment, when Kathryn's hands slipped over Kate's bare stomach, down to her thighs, Laria had had to wake her up so stupidly. It was too bad. What on earth was so important that Laria had to wake her up? Damn!!!

"What?" Called Kate therefore frustrated and looked annoyed at Laria.

“Oh, good morning to you too. Work calls, the agency wants an accident report and the boss wants to speak to you. ”Laria explained, while Kates sat up sleepily in her bed.

"Does that mean I haven't lost my job yet?" Kate asked uncertainly.

“For now, it means that we have to hurry so that we don't get to the office late. And as for the rest, it will show what will be in your report and how bad things went and what the customer's rating will be." Laria explained matter-of-factly, while she picked out some stuffs for Kate from Kate's closet and threw them to her . Kate caught the stuffs and then let Laria push her into the bathroom.

“Come on babe, hurry up. Let's not complicate matters.” Laria said again emphatically and Kate rolled her eyes, but did what Laria had told her to do.

About three quarters of an hour later, the two entered the office. Kate immediately had a secretary give her a form to fill out the accident report while Laria took her next job. Before that, however, Kate said goodbye to her tarantula, which then disappeared from Laria into a container with a few air holes, then into her backpack.

Kate looked pouting at Laria, but she knew that Laria would not to be traded on on this point.

"See you later babe. I'll make it up to you, I promise.” Laria said while kissing Kate on the head and then swept out of the office. Kate looked after her sadly. Two farewells within a short time, really sucked. Dejected, she started to fill out the form.

After Kate had finished writing her report for a while, she got up with a sigh. But before she could move away from the desk, she was pulled into a stormy hug and her lips were covered with another pair of lips. As soon as Kate became aware of her situation, she pushed herself out of the hug and looked at Max in disbelief and also a little bit angry.

"Max, what is that supposed to mean?" She asked annoyed and Max looked at her embarrassed.

“I was so concerned about you when we didn't hear from you and when I saw you just sitting here I just had to come over and say hello. And then you got up and I knew I just had to pull you into my arms and kiss you. Oh Kate, I'm so glad you're back and you're fine." Said Max and wanted to pull Kate into his arms again, but Kate fended him off.

"Max stop. Some things have changed in the last few days.” Kate explained while holding an arm out to prevent Max from coming closer.

Max looked confused at Kate.

"What has changed?" He asked puzzled and looked at Kate blankly.

"I fell in love, but not with you, but with someone else." Kate said quietly and embarrassed and did not look directly at Max, but into the office.

"You have fallen in love? In whom and when did this happen? And why?” Max babbled questioningly to himself. Kate stepped nervously from one leg to the other and didn't feel like answering Max's questions.

"Look Max, you are a total dear friend, but your kisses just don't knock me out like the kisses I've shared with someone else in the past few days. I really don't want to be mean or anything to you, but it is the way it is. I don't think that will work with either of us. Sorry Max.” Kate said, then turned on her heels and walked down the hall to give her report.

Max stared down after Kate.

As soon as Kate reached her boss's office, the secretary asked her to wait a moment, as the boss was in a meeting. Kate sighed deeply, but sat down nicely in the visitor chair and waited.

While she waited, she could hear snippets of conversation through the room door, but only because her senses were enhanced by the Borg technology. Since she was not very interested in what was being discussed, she preferred to turn her attention to the secretary, who was busy at her desk and doing various tasks.

When the office door opened, she only realized after a long moment who was stepping out of the office. But as soon as she did, she got up quickly and stumbled over and pulled Kathryn tightly into her arms and hugged her, happy to see her again.

Kathryn, who was a little irritated at first, also quickly wrapped her arms around Kate and hugged her. Only after a long moment did she break away from Kate and smile at her.

"Have you missed me?" She asked teasingly and Kate nodded her head eagerly. Oh yes, she really missed Kathryn, even though it was only a few hours since she had last seen her. But it was like that and she really couldn't have imagined beforehand that she could miss Kathryn so much and it confused her eerily.

"Yes very. Although it is not very clear to me why, where you are often so annoying. But I think it's my crazy twisted heart I have no more memories of you and us, but my heart would recognize you again and again, love you and miss you terribly." Kate explained while small tears ran down her cheek.

Kathryn gently wiped them away with her hands.

"Please turn off your bio shield emitter, I want to see you." Asked Kathryn and Kate turned off her bio shield emitter. At the moment she didn't care who would see her transform from a Bayjan woman to an exborg drone. The only thing that counted in the moment was Kathryn to fulfill her wish.

Kathryn smiled gently at Kate and gently stroked her tearful cheeks.

"I missed you a lot too and I wanted to say goodbye to you before we fly any further." Kathryn whispered softly.

"Um ... Kathryn?" Chakotay stepped up to her and looked gently at Kathryn.

"Yes?" She asked curiously and turned her head to face him.

“Didn't you listen? She said that her heart would always recognize you and love you. Wouldn't it be more correct if you didn't ask her if you could spend a little time together before we take off? Instead of saying goodbye to her now? We'll be in orbit for at least 4 days before all crew members are back from shore leave.” Chakotay explained and Kathryn looked at him thoughtfully, then looked lovingly at Kate.

"How is it, would you like to have a look at my spaceship and spend a little time with me?" Kathryn asked softly and gently.

Kate's tearful and sad face opened and a charming broad smile appeared with which she looked at Kathryn brightly.

“Yes, I feel like it, but I don't know if I have time. My boss has to decide that.” She said, although she didn't really care about any of it as long as she could be around Kathryn and spend time with her. But she didn't want to say it so openly.

Everyone looked back at Kate's boss, who had already blushed a little while reading through Kate's report.

“So after reading this report, I would say you have as much time as you want. You are fired.” He said with anger and waved his arms in the air in disbelief, because Kate had firstly put a customer in danger and secondly had destroyed an agency spaceship. And that where she had only been working for him for 3 weeks.

Kathryn turned to Kate and smiled broadly at her.

"Well that would be settled then." She said and then addressed herself to Chakotay.

"Take care of that, please." She said in her captain's tone and Chakotay nodded to her, then he stepped back into his office with the boss, while Kathryn grinned at Kate again and pulled her with him.

"So that's how it works, right?" Asked Kate, raising her eyebrow.

"What exactly do you mean?" Asked Kathryn confused and Kate looked at her with a crooked grin.

“Well, you give the order and your crew jumps and hops for you. It must have been frustrating for you that I didn't." Kate replied cheekily and Kathryn rolled her eyes playfully.

"Well, it's the best way that things are done the way I want them to and that it happens promptly." she replied with a wink.

When they got back to the open plan office, Kathryn saw a crying, sniffing man.

"What's wrong with him?" Kathryn asked curiously and Kate looked at Max a little sympathetically, before she answered Kathryn and left the agency with her.

“I told him earlier that he doesn't kiss as well as you do and that it wouldn't work with his and me." She explained and raised her shoulder and let it fall again.

"Really? I kiss better than him?" Kathryn asked, smiling wildly.

"Hm ... well I don't have that many comparative values, but what I have was enough to at least know that. I might have to kiss other people to know exactly." Kate replied thoughtfully.

"Kate!!!" shouted Kathryn playfully horrified and then pulled Kate into her arms and kissed her gently and tenderly. Her tongue brushed lightly over Kate's lips and Kate opened her mouth so that Kathryn's tongue could slide in and touch Kate's tongue. Kathryn and Kate moaned at the same time as they both let a pleasant hum run through their bodies.

The kiss intensified quite quickly and both women forgot where they were and who could see them. But at the moment they didn't really care. So they didn't notice how excited Laria ran up to them.

"Ohoooo." She cheered next to them and Kathryn let go of Kate, startled. Kate looked around confused, but then smiled when she saw Laria.

"Hey babe, are you having fun?" Laria asked and Kate grinned at her with dark eyes and a big smile and could only nod.

"I'm glad, here ..." With that she gave Kate her backpack and Kate looked at her in astonishment.

"Look inside." Laria demanded and Kate looked inside and then gave a delighted squeak. Then she put her hand in her backpack and took out her little creepy spider.

"Hello" she said affectionately and Kathryn groaned. She had completely forgotten the damn tarantula.

"But you wanted to take her in the jungle." Kate said to Laria while she continued to look gently at her tarantula.

“Well, this little monster somehow made it back into my backpack while I was accompanying the customers to their vacation home. Well, I have the suspicion that it won't be so easy to get rid of it." Laria said and grimaced her face.

"Oh, no!" Said Kathryn and sighed in annoyance. Only Kate smiled broadly at both women.

"Hi, I'm Laria." Laria explains after it occurred to her that she had not yet introduced herself.

"Hello, I'm Kathryn." Said Kathryn and held out her hand.

“I thought so when I saw you smooch. Kate already said a lot about you.” Laria said and winked at the two of them. Kathryn instantly blushed while Kate began to giggle.

"Hello" said suddenly Chakotay behind them and all three women turned to him. Laria immediately began to smile widely at Chakotay and he while giving her the same look. Then he leaned forward and kissed Laria on the cheek. However, Laria pulled him into her arms and hugged him stormily.

"Nice to see you again Indian," she said in a rather seductive voice that immediately made Chakotay blush.

Kathryn stared at her first officer with big eyes and open mouths while Kate was still giggling.

"Um ... Chakotay?" Asked Kathryn and Chakotay looked at her in surprise, as if he had completely forgotten about her.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Is everything done?" Asked Kathryn and Chakotay nodded his head.

"Yes, yes, everything is fine." he just said while looking at Laria in love again.

"Um ... can we beam up to Voyager again or do you need a moment?" She asked pointedly, but Chakotay completely missed the undertone.

"A moment would be good, thank you Captain." He just said and Kathryn looked at him with a rather annoyed look and put her hands on her hips and wanted to blow him the march. But Kate leaned over to her.

“Leave him the moment, I bet they have some catching up to do. Will you show me your ship?" Asked Kate sweetly and Kathryn looked at her and the little creepy spider with raised eyebrows. But since Kate looked at her so sweetly and lovely, her gaze softened and a smile appeared on her face.

"Okay" she said with a sigh in the direction of Chakotay and then tapped her communicator, which she had attached to her casual clothing, and asked to be beamed up.


	17. Chapter 17

As soon as Kate and Kathryn were beamed on the Voyager, both women stepped off the transport platform.

The ensign behind the console looked at Kate with wide eyes, but Kathryn just nodded at him as she pulled Kate out of the transport room.

"Why did he look at me so strangely?" Asked Kate and looked at Kathryn curiously.

“Well he recognized you again. At least you look like Seven, he doesn't know it's not you anymore." Kathryn replied matter-of-factly, while she and Kate went down the hall to the next turbo lift.

"Ah, okay." Kate just said while holding her tarantula in her hand and followed Kathryn down the hall.

As the two women turned the next corner, suddenly a little girl ran up to them, beaming with joy, and hugged Kate stormily. Kate frowned at Kathryn, confused.

Kathryn giggled next to her and Kate raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"Naomi may I introduce you to Kate? Kate this is Naomi our only child on Voyager. "Kathryn introduced the two of them. Naomi looked at Kathryn confused, while Kate freed herself from Naomi's embrace.

"Hello there." Kate said a little uncertainly while Naomi was still smiling brightly at her.

"Hello." Naomi said uncertainly and then looked at Kathryn questioningly.

Kathryn knelt down to Naomi and gave her a friendly hug.

"You know when the Borg kidnapped Seven, did they erase all of their memories?" Kathryn asked and Naomi nodded her head.

“Well Seven is now Kate and Kate doesn't remember anything about her stay here on Voyager. So she doesn't know you. Give her a little time to get to know you again. Okay?" Kathryn asked and Naomi nodded her head eagerly before looking back at Kate.

"What is that?" She asked, pointing to the tarantula.

"Oh, that's my creepy little spider." Kate explained and then looked over at Kathryn and mumbled quietly, "Children?" And rolled her eyes a little. She had no experience with children and didn't really know what to do with them.

Kathryn smiled gently at her before Naomi reclaimed the two women's attention.

"May I hold your spider?" She asked Kate and Kathryn sighed deeply. Oh no, someone else who liked the monster, as she had secretly christened the tarantula. That could be something.

"Um ... I don't know." said Kate and hesitantly held out her hand to Naomi. But somehow the tarantula wasn't eager to get to know Naomi. Instead, she set off and hastily crawled up Kate's arm, down her shoulder, then to Kate's back, and then hid there.

Kathryn hurriedly jumped a few steps back from Kate, as she was uncanny about the monster's sudden mobility and she still wanted nothing to do with the animals.

Kate looked around for her and gave her a broad grin before turning back to Naomi and looking at her apologetically.

"Sorry, I think she doesn't want to get to know you." She said to Naomi and Naomi pouted her little mouth pouting.

"Hmm ..." she said before glaring at Kate again.

"Are you staying on the Voyager forever?" She asked and Kathryn looked curiously at Kate.

Kate looked thoughtfully at Naomi and then at Kathryn.

"Um ... I don't know. I just wanted to see Voyager. I live on Bayja. ”She said uncertainly and Naomi looked at her with a frown.

“But you lived here before. We are your family and the family should always live together.” Naomi replied seriously. Kathryn had to swallow and turned away for a moment to wipe away the tears that wanted to roll from her eyes.

“Now you know, Kate has found a new family and Bayja is a beautiful planet. She can be very happy there if she wants to. We don't have the right to bind her to the Voyage family if she doesn't want to." Kathryn explained softly and in a calm voice that she hoped didn't sound too shaky.

"That's bullshit." Naomi shouted and gave both women an annoyed look before she turned and ran away angrily.

Kate and Kathryn watched her go.

"Bullshit?" Asked Kate, raising her eyebrow questioningly.

“It's a dirty word. I have no idea where she picked it up. All I know is that I've never heard her say anything like that. I think she's pretty upset." Kathryn explained and led Kate down the hall to the turbolift.

"Why is she so upset?" Asked Kate in amazement.

“She's upset because she loves you. I mean she loves Seven. You two have been best great friends, and she has missed you for the past few months as much as all of your friends have missed you. She's still too young to understand what I was trying to explain to her." Kathryn replied as they reached the turbolift and stepped inside.

While the two women took the turbolift to deck 3, the tarantula crawled back down Kate's arm and sat on her hand. Kate looked at her happily.

Kathryn rolled her eyes and secretly cursed the little monster.

As soon as the two women had reached Kathryn's and Seven's quarters and the doors closed, Kathryn pulled Kate into her arms and kissed her gently on the cheek. Then she quickly pulled away from her and stepped over to the replicator and replicated a small terrarium. She didn't intend to let the little monster run around freely in her quarters or on Voyager.

Kate curiously watched Kathryn as she pulled the terrarium out of the replication and then looked around the living room and wondered where to put it.

"What's that?" Kate asked curiously.

“This is a terrarium. It's for the little monster." Explained Kathryn and pointed to the tarantula.

Kate looked at her in horror.

"You want to lock her up?" She asked with a shocked look.

“Yes, at least as long as I show you the spaceship and we spend time together. When you return to Bayja, you are welcome to place her there as you like." Kathryn explained gently.

"Pfff ..." Kate just made and pouted and looked apologetically down at her tarantula.

“Come on, please put her in it. Don't worry, she'll be fine. I promise.“ Said Kathryn and Kate put her tarantula in the terrarium. Kathryn immediately put the glass plate with the air holes on the terrarium and beamed happily at Kate.

"You see, she's fine." she said as she sat in her reading chair and watched Kate, who was looking at her tarantula inside the terrarium.

"Kate?" Asked Kathryn after a long moment in which Kate had frowned at her tarantula.

"Yes?" She asked and looked away from the terrarium.

Kathryn opened her arms wide and Kate immediately understood what she wanted. So she stepped up to Kathryn quickly and let her pull her on her lap. Then Kathryn closed her arms warmly around Kate's body and pulled her close to her.

Kate bent her head down to Kathryn and her lips settled like soft silk on Kathryn's lips and breathed a very gentle kiss on them. Kathryn immediately returned the kiss by bringing her lips into play and shortly afterwards also her tongue and kissing Kate passionately and hungrily.

Kate moaned into the kiss as she put her hands on Kathryn's cheeks and held her close and her body, just like in her dream this morning, demanded more from Kathryn.

But Kathryn broke away from Kate moments later and looked at her gently, flushed and with an amorous look.

"God Kate, if we do this I can't promise I'll ever let you go again." Whispered Kathryn.

"Oh." Said Kate and raised her eyebrows briefly before giving Kathryn the most adorable smile Kathryn had ever seen.

"Then I'd better stay forever, right?" She asked thoughtfully and Kathryn looked at her with wide eyes.

"Yes, absolutely." Kathryn replied quickly and pulled Kate close again and laid her lips on Kate's cheeks and kissed one way over to her chin.

"Well, then we do it like that." said Kate, grinning broadly down at Kathryn.

***2 weeks later***

Kathryn sighed deeply and looked at the chaos in her and Kate's quarters before she groaned and began to pick up the pieces of the broken vase.

To say goodbye, Laria had given Kate a baby cat. Immediately attracted by the sweet cat, Kate instantly fell in love with this little purring fur ball and immediately started thinking about various nicknames, which Kathryn found all very silly.

God only knew how much Kathryn hated cats. She was a dog person, not a cat person! Cats were so extremely arrogant and so totally uneducable. They did what they wanted, where they wanted and when they wanted. In addition, their small, sharp claws, which came out with every displeasure and then seemed to leave scratch marks everywhere, were simply unacceptable. And now that too! Damn!!!

And what did the little monster do? It lay calmly on the couch, looked at Kathryn appraisingly and then yawned bored.

"Dung toad" whispered Kathryn over to her while she continued to groan and pick up broken pieces. The cat's eyes narrowed and she now looked at Kathryn with a really annoyed look.

First this damn tarantula and now a cat ... what had she done to deserve this, Kathryn wondered for the hundredth time.

After she had collected all the broken pieces and recycled them in the replicator, she sat down on her couch, annoyed. Whereby she made sure to keep a good distance from the little monsters, which she watched with big eyes.

But no matter how, the monster didn't seem to take the hint, but suddenly stirred, got up, hunched, craned and stretched, before she padded gracefully towards Kathryn and then, to Kathryn's horror, simply sat down on her lap and made herself comfortable on it.

Kathryn looked at the little monster in annoyance and groaned loudly, but she stayed where she was so as not to run the risk of getting to know the little sharp claws.

When Kate strolled into the living room a short time later, only wearing a towel, since she had just showered, Kathryn looked at her for help.

"Could you please take it down?" She asked Kate softly and Kate started to giggle.

"Kathryn she loves you, I don't understand that you don't like her." Kate replied as she lifted her cat out of Kathryn's lap, cuddled her and made cuddling noises to the cat before she let her down on the floor again.

Then she climbed gracefully onto Kathryn's lap herself, slipped her hands gently through Kathryn's hair, before placing it behind Kathryn's neck and gently holding her. Meanwhile, Kathryn's hands slid onto Kate's hips and pulled the young woman close.

"How was your day?" Kate asked as she kissed Kathryn on the forehead and then kissed down until she came to Kathryn's mouth and breathed a gentle kiss on it.

Kathryns smiled broadly at Kate because everything, well except for the cat and the tarantula, with whom they now shared the quarters, was beautiful and she was so infinitely happy to have Kate with her.

“It was calm and uneventful. Almost boring. I miss Chakotay. I still can't believe he decided to stay on Bayja by Laria.” Kathryn replied with a frown, still amazed that her first officer had preferred love to Voyager.

“Yes, Laria and Chakotay are sure to make cute babies. It's a shame that we'll never find out." Kate said regretfully and kissed the worry lines on Kathryn's forehead gently.

"He'll be fine." she said quietly and Kathryn nodded her head.

“Yes, of course he'll be fine. I have no concerns about that. How was your day?" Asked Kathryn curiously, while she with seductive eyes and slowly with her hands playfully opened Kate's towel and let her hands slide over Kate's bare torso.

Kate's body hummed appreciatively in Kathryn's tender touches and her cheek quickly reddened.

"I've now slowly worked my way up to Seven's personal log entries. I am now where the two of you started a sexual relationship. And some places in the logbook entries are really very interesting, but I think I don't understand everything.” Kate explained innocently and nibbled her lower lip for a moment before continuing.

"I would like to discuss it with you or maybe a practical demonstration would be very helpful." She said while her hand caressed Kathryn's breast, which was still wearing the uniform, and an imprint of a hardened nipple was immediately visible under the thick uniform material.

"Oh ..., hm ... I think we should go to the bedroom." Kathryn said hurriedly and pushed Kate gently but decisively from her lap, took her hand and wanted to pull her over to the bedroom.

But Kate held her tight and looked at her amorous with dark blown eyes.

"Um ... the part that I have in my head especially includes the dining table." She said softly and smiled at Kathryn.

Kathryn looked at Kate with wide eyes.

"Oh dear ..." she said "Really?" She asked further and Kate nodded her head eagerly.

Kathryn looked around uncertainly in the living room.

"Okay, but your cat has to get out of here!" She said firmly and Kate looked at her questioningly.

"Why can't Tapsi stay?" She asked curiously.

“Because we won't do what we do when she sees us doing it. It's impossible, besides, she's still a baby. Babies shouldn't see what we're doing." Kathryn explained eagerly and Kate looked at her thoughtfully.

"But last night she was there too and saw us. What's the difference?” Kate continued, while she picked up Tapsi and brought her into the bedroom and then closed the door so that the cat couldn't come out.

"Yesterday I didn't know that she was pulling us. I only noticed it when she jumped at us and wanted attention. That's the difference." Kathryn explained calmly, while she pulled Kate into her arms and began to kiss her stormily and passionately and navigated her towards the dining table.

"Ah ..." Kate moaned as soon as Kathryn slowly pushed her down on the table top and kissed her upper body and caressed her hands over Kate's breasts and pinched her nipples with her fingers and massaged them gently.

While the two women lost themselves more and more in their sexual activity, a little baby cat sat in the bedroom, scratching the door desperately and meowing relentlessly and begging to be allowed out. When the door didn't open for her, however, she jumped on the bed and sat down on Kathryn's pillow and snuggled into it.

The End


End file.
